A Slippery Rock Township man is accused of repeatedly calling an ex-girlfriend from prison in an attempt to dissuade her from cooperating with police and testifying against him in a domestic assault case.

The attempt backfired.

Soon after, Ryan A. Williams, 38, was ordered Monday held for trial on charges in the suspected domestic assault, he was arraigned on new and more serious charges — including felony witness intimidation.

Williams, following the court proceedings, was returned to the Butler County Prison where he's been held since July 27 after allegedly attacking former girlfriend Angela Mankey at her Butler home.

City police say the defendant showed up at Mankey's home about 7 p.m. July 26 and demanded to see her cell phone to see with whom she had been texting and talking.

She told police, according to court documents, that she had previously ended their relationship, which the defendant had not accepted.

Williams allegedly threw Mankey's phone, breaking it, and threatened to kill her. He later coerced her into his truck and drove off, demanding that she direct them to her new boyfriend's house, documents said.

While traveling, Mankey's said, the suspect slammed on his brakes, causing her head to hit the dashboard.

The two subsequently returned to her home about 11:30 p.m., documents said, where he grabbed her and shoved her into a dog crate.

Williams was arrested on a charge of simple assault and placed in the prison on $2,000 bail as well as a state parole violation.

But on the day he was booked in as a new inmate, authorities said, he started reaching out from behind bars in hopes of convincing Mankey not to testify against him.

Butler County Detective Charles Barger said he eventually obtained and listened to Williams' prison phone calls that he made to his one-time girlfriend.

In all, between July 27 and Aug. 8, the defendant placed or had others place 37 calls to Mankey. Williams, in a number of those calls, even solicited his current girlfriend's help, Barger said.

On July 28, according to documents, the defendant called Mankey and asked her to change her story.

“She is to say that she fell over the dog cage and Williams never threatened to kill her, he just threatened to kill himself,” Barger said in his affidavit filed with the criminal complaint.

During other phone conversations, investigators said, Williams told Mankey to “tell them you made it up.” He also begged, “promise me you won't jam me up.” And he warned, “if you say anything about trying to kill you, I will go to jail.”

New charges include intimidation of a witness or victim and conspiracy to intimate a witness or victim, both felonies. He also is charged with obstructing the administration of law, a misdemeanor.

Williams is being held in prison on a combined $27,000 bail in both cases.