Against the advice of his attorney, an alleged burglar testified at his preliminary hearing Monday, denying wrongdoing.

The defendant, Nicholas J. Campbell, 37, of Butler also admitted that a breath test showed he was intoxicated at the time of the suspected break-in last month at a Butler home.

But after listening to both the defendant and the arresting officer, District Judge William Fullerton ordered Campbell held for court on a list of charges, including three felonies.

Police arrested Campbell after they say he walked uninvited into a Fourth Avenue home Feb. 28, which was occupied by three children, ages 11, 12 and 13.

None of the children knew the suspect, who also allegedly struck a girl in the buttocks and threatened her. Additionally, he is accused of taking a set of keys.

Due to court-imposed initiatives to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the hearing was held via video call because Campbell is being held in the Butler County Prison.

Fullerton's courtroom was limited to city Patrolman Andrew Niederlander, who filed the case; public defender Ryan Helsel, Campbell's attorney; a court reporter; and the media.

Police were called just before 4:45 p.m. for the report of an unknown man who had entered the home without permission and was still inside, Niederlander said.

When officers got there, they found the three children as well as Campbell, who was in an upstairs bedroom,

The children were “very distraught” and crying, Niederlander said, “because of the anxiety and everything else that was going on.”

They eventually recounted that the defendant had earlier knocked on the front door and then entered the house. Scared, the children ran upstairs. Campbell allegedly went upstairs, too. The older child, a 13-year-old boy, called 911.

The other children, police said, were the boy's 12-year-old sister and an 11-year-old girl who was visiting.

Niederlander said the children told police that the defendant “pulled out a small baggie of what the juveniles described as 'green drugs' from his jacket pocket.”

Police later identified the substance as marijuana.

“He pulled the marijuana out of the bag and put it up to one juvenile's head and said, 'smell this,' ” the officer testified. The child declined and stepped away.

“At one point in the incident” Niederlander said, “Mr. Campbell hit one of the female juveniles in the buttocks and made the statement, 'I'm going to (expletive) you up.”

The officer said that he later spoke to the children's mother who lives at the house and she told him that “she's never seen Nick Campbell, and she has no clue who Mr. Campbell is.”

During cross examination, Niederlander told Helsel that the defendant appeared to be under the influence, but he couldn't say from what. He did not smell alcohol coming from Campbell. He described the suspect as having “slurred speech.”

Before the defense case was presented, Fullerton questioned Campbell to make sure he understood that whatever he testified to could be used against him at trial.

Helsel also questioned his client: “As your counsel, I've instructed you that you should not testify today, is that correct?”

“Yes,” Campbell replied.

Campbell testified that after he knocked on the door to the home, “somebody in the residence made the statement for me to come in.”

He denied he took a set of keys and claimed he “misconstrued who the juveniles were.”

Campbell said that after landing behind bars, he took a breath test that showed his blood-level was 0.156 percent, nearly twice the state's legal limit for drivers.

That level, he said, “clearly showed when I was arrested that I was under the influence of alcohol. So I don't know how the officer can state that he could not smell alcohol on me.”

He also testified that if his speech was slurred, as Niederlander described, “how could an 11-year-old, a 12-year-old and a 13-year-old understand me?”

Fullerton ruled Campbell be held for court on felony charges of burglary, trespass and terroristic threats, misdemeanor charges of theft, receiving stolen property and possession of a small amount of marijuana, and a summary charge of harassment.

The judge also not only denied Campbell's request for a reduced bond, but he placed a condition on it that he have no contact with the victims.