A Butler man accused of attempting to stab someone in the back of the head kept silent while acting as his own attorney during his preliminary hearing Monday morning.

Aaron M. Demko, 19, appeared before District Judge William Fullerton in Butler without an attorney, and a felony aggravated assault charge against him moved forward to Common Pleas Court.

Fullerton asked Demko to approach the stand and asked why he had failed to apply for a public defender. Demko offered no reply.

“I’m interpreting your actions as your choice not to have an attorney,” Fullerton said.

Demko was informed of his rights and the opportunity to cross-examine witnesses during the proceedings.

At this point, an inmate seated in the courtroom said Demko wasn’t going to talk to anyone. The inmate was escorted back to jail by officers.

Benjamin Simon, assistant district attorney, called witness David Cribbs to the stand. Cribbs testified that he allowed Demko into his Butler apartment the night of Feb. 28, though he previously asked him not to come there.

A few hours later, Cribbs said he was picking something up off the ground when Demko attacked him.

“(Demko) tried to stab me in the back of the neck with a knife. It kind of broke ... he ran back into my kitchen and grabbed a bigger knife. He started stabbing at me again,” Cribbs said. “The knife kind of just broke on my head.”

Cribbs said he punched Demko in the face and another witness obtained the knife. Demko left the apartment and was found walking in the middle of the street on Bell Drive in Pullman Plaza, according to documents.

Police said they responded at 7 p.m. Feb. 28 for a disturbance in the 400 block of West New Castle Street.

Fullerton asked Demko if he would like to cross-examine the witness, to which Demko did not reply.

“Just sitting there not saying anything doesn’t mean this is going to go away,” Fullerton said. “There are people willing to help you and are able to help you.”

Demko remains in Butler County Prison in lieu of $100,000 bail.