Man recorded torture of victim, 93, who later died

A paranoid cannabis user recorded himself for hours as he tortured a 93-year-old man who later died, a court has been told.

Martin Glynn was attacked at a property in Gold Street in Desborough, in Northamptonshire, in September 2024, and died in Kettering General Hospital on 26 December that year.

Samuel Michael Field, 40, formerly of Gold Street, Desborough, denies murder as well as manslaughter, grievous bodily harm with intent and grievous bodily harm.

At Northampton Crown Court, the prosecution said Glynn was punched, kicked, stamped on and strangled in a "senseless attack" at Field's home.

Prosecutor Adrian Langdale KC told jurors that Field made a series of voice recordings during the attack, forcing his victim to admit to Field's paranoid conspiracies.

Jurors had to listen to a "harrowing" recording, Langdale explained, of what was "effectively a voice note of what can only be described as a tortured confession".

He said the common thread in the recordings was Field talking about a conspiracy that "everyone is in for him" and he accused Glynn of giving a key to his home to an Irish traveller.

Langdale said Field did not call the ambulance service until 28 hours after the assaults began, but even then he only told the operator about his conspiracy claims.

Naeem Mian KC, defending Field, asked the jury to consider two points: whether his client intended to kill Glynn, and what actually caused his death.

Mian told the jury: "One question you may wish to ask yourself is this: why not just kill him, to put it bluntly?

"He had the time, had the opportunity and he had the weapons."

Mian said his client admitted inflicting "horrific injuries" on Glynn.

But he told the jury: "What we know is that the unfortunate Mr Glynn survives.

"He actually survives and ultimately he does not die of those injuries that he [Field] accepts he inflicted.

"He dies, as the Crown's own pathologist will tell you, of pneumonia."

The trial continues.

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