Man jailed for murder of friend Martin Glynn in Desborough
Samuel Michael Field sentenced to life imprisonment
A 40-year-old man has been sentenced at Northampton Crown Court to life imprisonment for the murder of his longtime friend, Martin Glynn.
Samuel Michael Field carried out a brutal attack lasting up to 10 hours on 19th September 2024 inside Glynn’s flat in Gold Street, Desborough.
More than 24 hours later, Field contacted the East Midlands Ambulance Service, admitting during several calls that he had assaulted his "best friend."
This prompted the call handler to alert Northamptonshire Police.
Police officers discovered Mr Glynn in the bathroom with severe facial injuries.
He appeared confused about how he sustained the injuries.
Mr Glynn was taken to Northampton General Hospital, diagnosed with multiple brain bleeds and a fractured neck.
Sadly, he never recovered and died on 26th December.
During Field’s 12-day trial earlier this month, he dismissed his defence counsel, offering no defence.
The jury found him unanimously guilty of murder in less than four hours.
At today's sentencing hearing, Field was told he would serve a minimum of 22 years before eligible for parole, to be released on licence for the remainder of his life.
Mr Glynn’s family paid tribute to him in a victim impact statement read in court.
The statement said: “Martin - or 'Mattie' as he was known to those who loved him - was a quiet, soft-spoken man, very independent and private.
“He lived a quiet, simple life and attended church regularly. His faith was very important to him. He was very caring and was totally inoffensive and an absolute gentleman.
"He had a great sense of humour and a great interest in his extended family.
“Martin loved his trips home to Ireland and enjoyed spending time with family. He was a very gracious man - kind and generous to his family, who very much looked forward to his visits.
“He visited Galway regularly before his beloved sister passed away. We maintained that bond with Martin - visiting him regularly in Northampton.
“The impact of losing Martin has been very distressing for our family. Such evil bestowed on such a kind, gentle, caring, loving, giving, good humoured, inoffensive soul. It was very upsetting to hear he suffered so much.
“We wanted to share with you all today what a lovely man Mattie was, our fond memories of times spent together in Galway and Northampton, and the cruelty of him being taken away from our family in these circumstances.”
Deputy Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Sergeant Megan Scotney from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, spoke after the hearing.
She said: “My deepest condolences continue to be given to the family of Martin Glynn who have been left truly devastated by his murder.
“Mr Glynn was a kind, gentle, loyal man, who was stripped of his independence by the cruel and calculated actions of Samuel Field, who by his own admission described the pair as being best friends for nearly 20 years.
“Although no sentence will ever be long enough nor can undo the unimaginable suffering Mr Glynn endured inside Field’s flat, I hope today’s sentence will offer some closure to what has been a very distressing and upsetting time for Mr Glynn’s family."
Scotney also extended her gratitude by saying, “I would like to take this opportunity to pass on my sincerest thanks to Mr Glynn’s family for their support and patience during this investigation at what has been a very difficult time for them.
“Finally, I would also like to thank those officers and staff from both Northamptonshire Police whose hard work and commitment throughout this complex investigation helped to obtain the evidence we needed to get justice for Mr Glynn and his family.”