FARMINGTON — A man who said he was attacked with an ax and a meat cleaver in April 2012 told a jury Tuesday that he didn’t remember what happened to the ax or whether he brought the meat cleaver back into his house.

The cleaver turned up on the kitchen counter, covered in blood, according to Farmington police. The weapon was submitted as evidence in Franklin County Superior Court.

The ax was never found.

The cleaver was not tested for DNA because fingerprints would have been washed off by the blood and the blood would have been Jeremiah Gattis,’ who claimed he was attacked, Farmington Detective Marc Bowering testified.

Gattis, a tattoo artist in Farmington, testified that he and his girlfriend, Stephanie Buzzell, heard a tapping on the bedroom window at about 11:40 p.m. after going to bed to watch television.

Buzzell testified earlier that she opened the window 2 to 3 inches and an ax came through the glass, nearly hitting her. She said a hand came through the window and removed the remaining glass, and Brian Sweeney, 32, of Rumford, stuck his head in and they looked at each other.

Sweeney and Shari Dupree, 32, of Wilton are on trial on charges of felony aggravated assault and burglary and misdemeanor charges of assault and criminal mischief.

The two pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The nine men and five women listened to three Farmington police officers, and alleged victims Buzzell and Gattis before the trial recessed until 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Gattis said that when he reached the front of the trailer after the window was broken, the front-door glass had been smashed out and a hand was reaching in to open the door. Gattis said he opened the door and grabbed hold of an ax that Sweeney was using and while the two struggled he was being hit over the head with a meat cleaver or butcher knife by Dupree. He recognized her voice, he said.

Buzzell testified earlier that she was in shock when the ax came through the window. Her chest, stomach and upper thighs were covered in glass and had cuts and abrasions. She called 911 while getting dressed.

She said she looked over at Gattis and he was putting his shoes on before leaving the bedroom.

When she went out to the front of the trailer, Gattis was gone and she saw two people, one shorter than the other, walking away casually and carrying something metal about 2 to 3 feet long.

“I assumed it was the weapon that came by my head,” Buzzell said.

She told the dispatcher that she did not know where Gattis was and thought he was dead. Later, he walked back into the residence.

Sweeney’s attorney, Woody Hanstein, asked why she didn’t put anything about Sweeney sticking his head in the window in her police report or about the difference in height of the two people.

She said she told police what happened.

Buzzell and Gattis also testified that Sweeney and Gattis were texting back and forth earlier that night in an argument and they thought the situation was diffused.

Hanstein asked why those texts were not subpoenaed.

Gattis said after a certain time they are deleted because his phone only holds so many.

Hanstein also asked why Gattis didn’t tell police Sweeney had a key to the residence.

The jury was shown photos of Gattis’ injuries, including a gash on his forehead, bloody hands and a dislocated finger. The couple were both checked by emergency medical professionals at the scene.

Gattis declined medical treatment, he said, but went to the doctor the next day and was sent to the emergency room. He wanted to secure his residence and he didn’t have health insurance but ended up with medical bills, anyway, he said.

Gattis said that when he ran out of the residence after struggling with Sweeney and the ax, and after getting the cleaver away from Dupree, he ran around Poverty Lane, off High Street, where his home was. He said he thought they were chasing him and were going to kill him. When he saw a car drive by he knew it was safe to go back home, he said.

Gattis also testified that when Sweeney left Gattis’ tattoo shop on Front Street in Farmington the afternoon of April 3, he was happy. It wasn’t until later after being at the bar that Sweeney told him he messed up the tattoo. The tattoo was not finished, Gattis said. He also said the dispute was not over the tattoo.

In Hanstein’s opening statement, he told the jury that Gattis did not give Sweeney the tattoo for free as Assistant District Attorney Joshua Robbins said. It was in exchange for building a room for Gattis to grow marijuana.

Gattis testified that he has a prescription for medical marijuana that he received on March 27, 2012, and is allowed to grow six plants. He denied the tattoo was in exchange for the work.

Hanstein also told the jury that Dupree had received a gash on the back of her upper right forearm that was never photographed by police. The gash needed 6 stitches to close it.

Hanstein also asked Gattis if he kept an ax near his front door.

Gattis said he used to but brought the ax outside prior to the incident.

Hanstein also questioned medical reports that he said did not match up to what Gattis said happened.

The defense is expected to call witnesses Wednesday.

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