A Butler woman recounted threats she received from her former boyfriend, who didn't want to go to prison.

She testified the threats were 31-year-old Joseph R. Brandon's attempt to get her to drop charges against him for allegedly brutalizing her dog.

“Probably the worst was he was going to do to me what happened to my (relative),” the victim said, referring to Melissa Barto.

State police said Melissa Barto, 26, was shot three times in the Butler area in June 2017 before her body was set on fire and dumped in Lawrence County. Barto's boyfriend was accused in the killing and awaits trial in Butler County court.

District Judge William Fullerton at Brandon's hearing ordered him to stand trial on a felony charge of intimidation of a witness or victim and a misdemeanor charge of terroristic threats.

He is already facing trial on a felony charge of aggravated cruelty to an animal for what he allegedly did to the woman's dog in February.

The woman testified Monday that her cross-breed golden retriever and poodle suffered several broken ribs, contusions to the lungs, bruises over her entire body and other injuries. The dog was treated at an animal hospital.

Following an investigation, Butler police arrested Brandon on March 15, accusing him of injuring the dog. He was arraigned on charges and released on $15,000 unsecured bail.

The dog's owner said that during the investigation, the defendant believed officials at the animal hospital were pressing for charges.

“He didn't realize it was me,” she said, “until he got arrested for it. After that he wanted me to drop the charges and lie about what happened.”

She told the court Brandon moved out of her house around the time charges were filed, but continued his bid to get her to back off on the charges. His attempt would sometimes turn into “screaming matches” between the two.

She told prosecutor Laura Pitchford, a county assistant district attorney, about the eventual threats.

“They varied over a period of time,” the victim testified, “anywhere from 'I'm going to mess up your house' (to) 'I'm going to slash your tires.'”

He also threatened to damage the homes and vehicles of family members. The woman said the threats gradually escalated to harming people.

“He threatened me quite a few times because I was the reason he was going to go to prison,” she said, “because I was the one that pressed the charges against him.”

She told Pitchford that Brandon also threatened another 13-year-old relative.

“He threatened to douse (the boy) with gasoline and light him on fire,” she testified.

Brandon's attorney, public defender Ryan Helsel, tried to poke holes in the woman's testimony on cross-examination.

She admitted that she did not see Brandon harm her dog.

“But he told me that he did it,” she told Helsel.

She also acknowledged that she continued to accept the defendant's phone calls during the time he was making the alleged threats.

“And he would make a threat and you would not go to police and report it immediately?” Helsel asked.

“I put it off for a while, yeah,” she responded.

“You put it off numerous times, is that fair to say?” Helsel asked. Barto answered affirmatively.

But when questioned if the defendant specifically asked her to drop the charges in the animal cruelty case, she told Helsel he did.

“What was your response to that?” he inquired

“A lot of times I probably beat around the bush,” she replied, “because I wasn't looking to get into an argument with him.”

Despite the alleged threats, Brandon had his preliminary hearing April 15 before Fullerton, who ordered him held for trial in the animal cruelty case

Brandon remains in the Butler County Prison on $250,000 bail.