Desborough murder suspect Sam Field 'punched baby boy in the head'
Two little children were assaulted by murder suspect two decades ago, a jury has heard.
Northampton Crown Court heard that Samuel Field punched baby boy while he was in his cot and his mother was out, as well as hitting his sister who was just three-years-old.
It came as the murder trial jury was given information about the past convictions of Samuel Field, 40, who denies killing Martin Glynn, 93.
Helen Rodger, for the prosecution, read agreed facts to the jury. This is evidence that is agreed by both parties so is read to the court and submitted into jury bundles without challenge.
In many cases, juries do not hear previous convictions of defendants, but in this case the court was told of of two crimes of which Field had been convicted.
Extensive bruising
The court heard that Field had, in 2009, admitted an actual bodily harm on a three-year-old girl that happened between August 1 and August 17, 2007. He also admitted grievous bodily harm on a one-year-old baby boy, said to have happened in February 2008. They were the children of his partner at the time.
Mr Rodger told the court that he hit the girl in the head and smacked her legs, and that he punched the baby boy in the head while he was in his cot. The boy suffered extensive bruising to his ear.
Field was interviewed by police in August 2007 and told officers that the girl had fallen off a swing in a park, causing her injuries.
The court heard he had told police: “I didn’t assault the girl.”
An expert had then told police that he believed the injuries were caused by the girl being hit, so Field was again interviewed on July 10, 2008.
Field again told police that she had fallen from a swing before trying to blame his partner’s brother for the injuries. When challenged, he maintained his version of events before adding that she had also slipped in the bath.
Pale and floppy
On February 22, 2008 Field’s partner left him alone with the boy while she went to the shops.
Ms Rodger told the court that when she returned to the flat, Field was holding the boy close to his chest.
"The boy appeared to be pale and floppy,” said Ms Rodger.
"Samuel Field stated that he was concerned about the boy.”
There was fresh blood around the baby’s face and mouth and on Field’s clothing.
When the boy was taken to the hospital, Field told medics that he had been alone in the flat and heard screaming and banging noises before discovering the boy had fallen in his cot.
Doctors examined the boy and found he had bruising to the left side of his head and retinal bleeding ‘compatible with direct trauma to the head.’
Field served a prison sentence after admitting actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm with intent. He was released, but was still on licence and under probation supervision when he allegedly murdered Mr Glynn in September 2024.
The jury also heard that he admitted harassing his brother, Will Field, in the April before the attack on Mr Glynn.
‘He appeared to be in shock’
The jury was also given detail of Martin Glynn’s medical treatment. When paramedics arrived at the Desborough flat at 12.22am on September 21, after they had been requested to attend by the police, they found Mr Glynn ‘cold, wet and malnourished and in a state of hypothermia’, Ms Rodger told the court.
"He appeared to be in shock and very confused,” she added.
He was taken to Northampton General Hospital where it was noted he had severe bruising around his eyes, head, jaw and neck. He had swelling and bruising to his shoulder and elbow, and bruising to his chest.
A CT scan showed bleeding between his skull and brain on both sides of his head. He also had a fracture to his hyoid bone which sits in the centre of the neck.
During his two-month stay at NGH, Mr Glynn began to choke on food and developed pneumonia. He was assessed as being at ‘high risk of aspiration’. He was given antibiotics and prescribed a soft diet to prevent further choking.
On November 28 he was eventually transferred to Spinneyfields in Kettering for step-down care, at which point he weighed 64kg. By December 7 he weighed only 46.2kg.
On December 18 he was moved to Wheatsheaf Court care home in Daventry, where he the next day he was found to have a chesty cough.
He was prescribed anti-biotics but on the morning on December 26, a health care assistant discovered him in bed with no pulse. He was not breathing. He was declared dead at 1.15pm.
The trial continues. Field denies murder, manslaughter and GBH.