Sam Field found guilty of 'torturing' 93-year-old man to death in Desborough
A jury has convicted a 40-year-old man of murdering Martin Glynn.
Samuel Michael Field, of Gold Street, Desborough, has been found guilty of murder.
The defendant remained emotionless and looked ahead as the verdict was read by the foreman.
A Northampton Crown Court jury returned its verdict in the case in three hours and fifty minutes.
The group returned into court 3 at 3.30pm today (Wednesday, May 6) after being sent out by The Honourable Mr Justice Stephen Eyre KC at 10.09 this morning (Wednesday, May 6).
During the two-and-a-half weeks of evidence, the court heard that Field punched his ‘only friend’ of two decades Martin Glynn in the head when he walked into his flat on September 19, 2024.
He then subjected him to a 28-hour beating and interrogation in a cannabis-fuelled attack. He believed Glynn, from whom he had taken thousands of pounds over several years, was part of a nonsensical conspiracy involving his landlord, an Irish traveller, and various authorities.
He recorded wild voice-notes during the attack, and the jury heard Mr Glynn’s confused voice on one of them. He also filmed himself pacing around his flat ahead of a botched clean-up operation that he carried out to try to cover his tracks. He then disposed of a blink camera that caught some of the events. It has never been found.
The court heard how Field had lied to police, telling them that frail Mr Glynn, 93, had sexually assaulted him and had then fallen in the shower, causing brain bleeds and broken bones in his neck. He eventually admitted stamping on, and kicking, Mr Glynn, but denied murdering him.
He told police it had taken him ‘10 hours’ to get the truth out of him about the fabricated plot he had invented.
While he was carrying out the assault, he spoke to two probation staff members and made multiple 999 calls. But the emergency services did not get to Mr Glynn until the early hours of September 21, when they found him soaking wet and malnourished on the floor of the shower.
From his hospital bed, He was able to tell officers parts of what had happened, saying that Field had put his hands around his neck and squeezed so hard he thought he was going to die.
They were some of the last words that Mr Glynn was ever able to say. Before the attack he had been independent, getting himself around by bus, doing his own shopping and going to church. But following the brutal assault, his health went into terminal decline, and he died on Boxing Day 2025, three months after the attack.
Field offered no evidence in his own defence after sacking his own well-respected legal team following an appearance in court by a neuro-surgeon who had clearly not been aware of much of the evidence in the case, and whose opinion was based on an old cognitive function test.
Field failed to give any account of his actions and did not make a closing speech.
He remained completely emotionless during the entire trial, diligently taking notes.
There was nobody to support him in the public gallery. Mr Glynn’s family in Ireland religiously followed the proceedings via video, and some were present in court to hear today’s verdicts.
As the jury returned into court, the foreman was asked whether they had reached unanimous verdicts. He stood and replied that they had.
He was asked whether they found Field guilty or not guilty of murder. He replied ‘guilty’.
The Honourable Mr Justice Stephen Eyre KC said that there was only one sentence he could pass, life in prison. But said that as he was unrepresented, he would like to see a probation report before deciding a minimum tariff that Field must serve. He urged him to get legal representation before that hearing.
He will be back before the same court on May 29.