A 93-year-old man who died after being subjected to a horrifying 28-hour assault used his final words to identify his attacker, a court has been told.
Attack details
Martin Glynn passed away three months after allegedly being punched, kicked, strangled and having his head stamped on by Sam Field, 40. The attack took place at Mr Glynn's home in Desborough, Northamptonshire, in September 2024. Jurors were informed that Field even filmed himself during the brutal assault.
Police arrived to find Mr Glynn lying 'unceremoniously dumped' in a shower tray. He died in Kettering General Hospital on December 26 after suffering brain bleeds and broken bones in his neck.
Deathbed statement
Northampton Crown Court heard that Mr Glynn used his last words to tell a detective how Field had attacked him and that he had been blackmailed into handing over thousands of pounds. Field is accused of murder, manslaughter, grievous bodily harm with intent, and grievous bodily harm.
Adrian Langdale KC, opening the case, said Mr Glynn had arrived at Field's home after a bus journey from Northampton. Field then began making 'bizarre accusations' about a conspiracy. Over the next 28 hours, Field repeatedly punched, kicked, and stamped on Mr Glynn's head, and strangled him. Langdale described Field as a 'ticking time-bomb' due to paranoia caused by cannabis and sleep deprivation.
Field made voice recordings during the attack, forcing his victim to admit to paranoid conspiracies. Jurors heard a 'harrowing' recording described as a 'tortured confession'. Field did not call an ambulance until the following afternoon, in an attempt to 'cover his own backside'.
Injuries and financial exploitation
Mr Glynn suffered extensive bruising, two broken neck bones, and three significant brain bleeds. He lost his ability to speak shortly after arriving at hospital. Detective Sergeant Lee Bergin stated that Mr Glynn told him: 'Sam put his hands around my neck and squeezed. He said he was out to kill me. He squeezed so tightly that I thought I was going to die.'
Mr Glynn also revealed he had given Field thousands of pounds, visiting him weekly and handing over £200 in an envelope. He had 'foolishly' taken Field into his flat after Field was released from prison on probation. Bank account analysis showed 701 ATM cash withdrawals by Mr Glynn between 2018 and 2024, totalling £21,780 from September 2021 to his death.
Crime scene investigators found blood on walls, floor, and skirting, along with blood-soaked tissues and a blood-soaked pillow. The blood matched Mr Glynn's DNA with a billion-to-one probability. The trial continues.
