Harry Every of Dixfield sits Monday in the courtroom at Oxford County Superior Court in South Paris on the first day of his attempted murder trial involving a woman and girl at their home in Mexico in 2020. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

SOUTH PARIS — Monday marked the start of the trial of a Dixfield man charged with the attempted murder of a woman and a girl at their Mexico home and other related charges.

Justice Julia Lipez presides Monday over Harry Every’s attempted murder trial at Oxford County Superior Court in South Paris. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Harry David Every, 52, faces five other charges stemming from a Jan. 4, 2020, incident during which Every is alleged to have broken into the Mexico home of the woman and a girl and hid in the basement drinking beer, according to a police affidavit.

After midnight, Every went upstairs to the woman’s bedroom, pushed her head into the pillow and held the gun to her temple, saying he was going to kill her, according to police.

When Every pulled the trigger, the .38-caliber semi-automatic pistol misfired; he put the bullet in his pocket, racked a new round in the gun and pointed it at her again, police said.

As the woman tried to get her cellphone and get away, Every fired from 2 to 3 feet away, missing her and hitting the wall, police said.

The woman apparently fell to the floor and covered her head with both hands, fearing she would be shot, police said.

Every then threatened to kill a girl sleeping in the next bedroom, but the woman pleaded with him not to and began pounding on the wall and yelling to the girl to wake up and get out, police said.

The girl woke up, came out of her room and pushed Every away from the woman’s bedroom door, which he was holding shut, then told him to stop, according to the affidavit.

Every retreated to the basement.

Harry Every, left, of Dixfield sits Monday beside his attorney, James Howaniec, of Lewiston in the courtroom at Oxford County Superior Court in South Paris. It was the first day of Every’s trial on a charge of attempted murder involving a woman and a child in their Mexico home in 2020. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

The woman and girl opened a window in the woman’s bedroom, pushed out the screen and called 911 as they escaped to a friend’s home, police said.

Police went to the home at 1:30 a.m. in response to a report of a man inside threatening suicide with a firearm, police said.

When reached by cellphone, Every reportedly told police he planned to finish his beer, chew some tobacco then exit the home unarmed, police said.

He eventually surrendered voluntarily, police said.

Every also was charged with burglary, domestic violence reckless conduct, domestic violence criminal threatening, domestic violence terrorizing and obstructing report of a crime.

Charges of aggravated assault and reckless conduct were dismissed by prosecutors.

He has been on supervised release on personal recognizance.

The trial began Monday in Oxford County Superior Court with opening statements followed by witnesses. It is expected to last three days.