DALLAS TEXAS - State District Judge Ernie White allowed the defense to reopen its case this morning so that the defendant, Bobby Singleton, could testify about beating and robbing Jimmy Dean at gunpoint in July 2008.
Singleton, now 30, said he and his friend, Jonathan Gunter, did not attack Dean because he was gay. Although in his confession to police, Singleton said: "We figured they would be easier targets because their [sic] are a lot of homosexuals around the area,"
Singleton, who uttered slurs as he kicked and beat Dean in July 2008, said they went to Oak Lawn because "we figured they wouldn't put up as much of a fight."
He also defended his use of the word "faggot," saying that was a word you would say to anyone during a fight.
Singleton's attorney, Ed "Bubba" King, asked if Singleton was "angry, frustrated and drunk" and "would have beat up anybody." Singleton said he would have.
He also offered an apology to Dean from the witness stand. He said that he is "ashamed of what I did." He said many things were going wrong in his life. His girlfriend left him and took their child. He had problems at work. So, he started drinking and using drugs.
He said that none of this is an excuse.
"I think about it every day," Singleton said. "And I am truly sorry and I would like to say to Mr. Dean that I'm sorry for what I did."
Twice on cross examination, Dallas County prosecutor Marshall McCallum asked Singleton to demonstrate how he beat Dean.
The first time, Singleton stood in front of the jury box and violently stomped his right foot on the ground.
The second time, Singleton got on the ground on all fours and demonstrated how he used his knee to hit Dean in the head.
from The Dallas Morning News
No comments:
Post a Comment