Brett Ross Drummond jailed over burglary and ‘chilling’ kill threat

A convicted killer broke into a woman’s home with a machete. Two days later he called police asking to be arrested.

A court artist’s depiction of Brett Drummond in 2013. Source: Tony Wasley.

A convicted killer broke into a woman’s home with a machete, lit a candle, had a glass of wine and listened to music, a court has heard.

Brett Ross Drummond, 58, appeared in the County Court on Monday, where he was sentenced to one year and one month’s jail, less 385 days already served, to be followed by a 14-month community corrections order (CCO) by Judge Gerard Mullaly.

Drummond had pleaded guilty to charges of burglary and making a threat to kill, with the victim being a neighbour.

While they were once friends, an intervention order was served on Drummond in April 2024 to protect the victim.

Accomplices Bradley Walter and Brett Drummond in court in 2013 over the bashing death of Edwin Singer. Source: Tony Wasley.

The next month Drummond went to the victim’s home with a large machete.

Inside, he “disturbed” pillows and clothing in the victim’s bedroom, before waiting in the living room for her return.

He lit a candle, had a drink of wine and played some music, staying for about an hour.

He was gone when she came home.

Noticing someone had been in her house, the victim reported the break-in to police.

Two days later, Drummond called police confessing and asking to be arrested.

When officers arrived, Drummond was sitting on a chair outside his home, with a sheathed machete on a table next to him.

He told the officers he needed them to “lock him up” and said he was going cut the victim’s head off.

He repeated the threat when interviewed, stating that he would “cut her up” and that if the victim had been home, he would have killed her.

He added: “If you let me go, I’m gonna go down there and f--king kill her.”

Judge Mullaly said it spoke of Drummond’s “troubled mind” and noted a number of “troubling” aspects of Drummond’s offending.

“It is not common that someone would make such a chilling threat to kill to arresting police officers with a machete in a sheath on the table,” he said.

Judge Mullaly highlighted the victim’s impact statement, in which she said the crime had emotionally “ruined” her.

Drummond had a traumatic background, the court heard, which led to him drinking from the age of 10 and sniffing petrol at 12.

In 2013, Drummond was jailed for nine years over the manslaughter of Edwin Singer, who was bashed to death.

Drummond’s accomplice, Bradley Walters, was jailed for 20 years after being found guilty of murder.

All three men had been staying at Sir Charles Hotham Hotel.

The court heard Drummond was released in 2019 and struggled to adjust in the community.

It was “critical” he receive support upon his release this time, Judge Mullaly said, as he was medicated, had shown insight and wanted help.

Judge Mullaly also noted Drummond had also managed to hold onto his accommodation.

While he took into account the prosecution’s submission for a longer jail sentence, Judge Mullaly said the “risks of deep institutionalisation are real” in Drummond’s case and a combined sentence was the best option to protect the community.

“A sentence where you are released, possibly with little or no support, would risk the same outcomes as we’ve seen here,” he told Drummond.

Judge Mullaly implored Drummond, who will be released in under a fortnight, to be tolerant and patient, and not resort to violence when he rejoined the community. 

Originally published as Brett Ross Drummond jailed over burglary and ‘chilling’ kill threat