HUNTINGDON, Tenn. — Austin Drummond testified in his own defense Friday, telling jurors he believed Timothy Singleton was arming himself to attack him minutes before the confrontation that led to Drummond’s attempted murder charge.
Before testimony resumed after the first break, Judge Mark Hayes confirmed with both defendants that their decisions on testifying were voluntary.
Andre Brown told the court he did not wish to testify.
Drummond confirmed it was his own free decision to take the stand.
Fine testifies about video, cell security
The defense first called Robert Fine, a Tennessee Department of Corrections investigator with 19 years at the agency.
Outside the jury’s presence, Farmer sought to introduce testimony about a May 2020 incident in which Drummond was assaulted in his cell at West Tennessee State Penitentiary after another officer allegedly unlocked his cell door for two other inmates.
Hayes ruled the incident inadmissible, finding it too remote in time and unrelated to the victim in this case to be relevant, though he allowed Drummond himself to testify about his own history and state of mind later.
With the jury present, Fine testified he had reviewed 60 to 70 prison fight videos in his career and was shown the surveillance footage of the August 29, 2023 incident.
Fine testified he observed what appeared to be an object in Singleton’s right hand and, later, an object falling from the area near Singleton during the struggle, though he said he could not identify what the object was.
He also testified that cell doors at the facility could be tampered with, allowing inmates to open them despite being locked.
On cross-examination, District Attorney Danny Goodman used the same video to walk Fine through several points in the footage, and Fine agreed that Singleton did not appear to pose a threat to Drummond or others in the moments before the confrontation began.
Drummond’s testimony
Drummond testified he has been in the Tennessee Department of Corrections since he was 16, when he was convicted as an adult for an armed robbery at a gas station.
He testified he has never felt safe in prison, including inside locked cells.
Drummond told jurors that on the day of the incident, Singleton confronted him on a stairwell and threatened to stab him unless he was given money.
Drummond testified he then retrieved a knife from another inmate. He watched from his cell as another inmate handed Singleton an object and gloves.
Drummond testified that he went downstairs roughly 5-10 minutes later intending to confront Singleton about the threat.
“I believe he was arming himself to stab me, like he said he was going to,” Drummond testified.
Drummond said that as he approached Singleton, that Singleton pulled a knife. Drummond said he attempted to grab the knife from Singleton’s hand before the fight began, and denied ever intending to kill him.
“At no time did I ever want to kill Timothy Singleton,” Drummond testified. “I only wanted to prevent myself from being stabbed.”
Drummond was permitted to narrate portions of the surveillance video for the jury, describing his movements during the altercation.
The court recessed for lunch before cross-examination of Drummond was set to begin.