A man accused of slashing a woman’s throat and attempting to rob a Winthrop, Mo., convenience store returned to court Tuesday.

Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department deputies used a special tool with Sean E. Cave, 38, as they escorted him to the third-floor courtroom Tuesday with about a dozen other prisoners.

Deputies connected Mr. Cave to a Taser belt that can be activated by a remote control unit, said Sgt. Shawn Collie, a deputy sheriff.

The department purchased the belt with grant funds to provide a control option for high-profile and violent offenders, said Buchanan County Sheriff Mike Strong. It’s twice as powerful as a Taser gun and includes a warning buzzer that sounds before activation, Mr. Strong said. Defendants sign a form that says deputies explained the Taser belt’s use and all the protocols, he said.

Mr. Cave is a high-profile defendant facing the possibility of three life sentences if convicted on felony charges of first-degree assault, first-degree robbery and armed criminal action. The state has accused Mr. Cave of slashing Kimberly Dejonge’s throat June 19 and repeatedly stabbing her during the Winthrop robbery in an attempt to eliminate her as a possible witness.

Dressed in a jailhouse orange jumpsuit, Mr. Cave, a heavy-set man with a moustache and bearded chin, rocked back and forth in a courtroom chair joking with other prisoners while smiling at other people in court. A court marshal kept the Taser remote control in her hand while Mr. Cave appeared in court.

Associate Circuit Court Judge Ronald Taylor ordered a preliminary hearing at 10:30 a.m. July 31. A defense motion to set bail was withdrawn Tuesday before the judge could rule on the motion. Mr. Cave remains in the Buchanan County Jail.

Marshall White can be reached at marshall@npgco.com.