Desborough Man Jailed for Life for Murder of Elderly Friend

A man from Desborough has been jailed for life for the murder of his elderly friend.

Samuel Field assaulted 93-year-old Martin Glynn in a prolonged and sustained attack at a flat in Gold Street in September 2024.

The 40-year-old was sentenced at Northampton Crown Court today after previously being convicted of murder and was told he must serve a minimum of 22 years before being eligible for parole.

Martin Glynn

During the trial, the court heard Mr Glynn had travelled by bus from his home in Kings Heath, Northampton, to visit Field at his flat — a journey he regularly made to see his friend.

Prosecutors said Field, whose mental health had deteriorated in the months beforehand, had become paranoid and wrongly believed Mr Glynn had betrayed him to an unknown “Irishman”.

The court heard Field punched, kicked and stamped on Mr Glynn before strangling him, leaving the pensioner with severe facial injuries, multiple bleeds on the brain and a fractured neck.

Footage from a hidden camera inside the flat showed Field carrying on as normal while Mr Glynn lay motionless on the floor.

The attack was said to have lasted up to 10 hours before Field eventually contacted emergency services more than 24 hours later, telling call handlers he had assaulted his “best friend”.

Mr Glynn never recovered from his injuries and died on December 26th 2024.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, Mr Glynn’s family described him as “an absolute gentleman” who was kind, caring and deeply devoted to his family and faith. They also spoke of their distress at the circumstances of his death and the suffering he endured.

Samuel Field was today jailed for life