A former Royal Marine who broke into his neighbours’ home at 4am, before attacking and injuring a father and son with a knife, has been given an eight-year prison sentence and branded a dangerous offender.
Samuel Hughes, 46, was in the grip of an acute drug-induced psychosis when he entered a house on Brentfield Way in Penrith, occupied by three adult family members, on Thursday November 27 2025, armed with a 10cm bladed knife.
Prosecutor Robert Hall told Carlisle Crown Court: “There was no negative history between Samuel Hughes and his neighbours and no obvious reason for Samuel Hughes acting in the way that he did, save self-induced intoxication through drink and drugs — cocaine — and possibly associated mental ill-health issues.
Hughes first went into the 31-year-old son’s bedroom. He woke from sleep, the pair moved on to a landing and were joined by the man’s father, aged 45, and 55-year-old mother.
Hughes’ presence and behaviour made no sense to the neighbours said Mr Hall, who added: “But, when they asked for an explanation, they were met with a repetitive growling or grunting noise — described as ‘really strange’ by (the mother) — from Hughes, who was described as appearing blankly with a vacant look on his face, and almost spitting and foaming at the mouth.”
When the woman observed that Hughes had a knife, he lunged at her, thrusting the weapon towards her.
As her husband and son jumped in and restrained Hughes, there was a struggle. “Samuel Hughes resisted their restraint and continued to thrust the knife towards them,” said Mr Hall.
The father suffered wounds to his right ring finger and web space between left thumb and forefinger, requiring stitches.
The son sustained a wound to his left posterior neck, right palm ring finger — both stitched — and grazes to his back.
The woman was not injured and later spoke of Hughes’ behaviour that night being out of character and of him being “normally a really nice guy.
Her husband later said: “Sam has never been aggressive towards any of us.”
After the family members fled their home, police were called. Officers forced entry to Hughes’ home next door and found him, seemingly, in the process of self-mutilation.
Hughes was arrested and taken into hospital where he later told police: “I’ve been on the world’s biggest bender and the wrong persons were in my path.”
In the days leading up to his attack, Hughes had consumed vast quantities of cocaine, pregabalin — for which there was no prescription — and alcohol.
Hughes, latterly of Brentfield Way, was initially charged with attempting to murder the two men.
He later admitted wounding them with intent to cause grievous bodily harm; and attempted wounding of the mother.
In an impact statement, the woman spoke in vivid terms about how she felt the incident would never leave her, of suffering flashbacks and since feeling locked down in her own home.
“I cannot shift the sadness of the whole incident. I cannot comprehend what we have been through,” she said.
Her husband’s statement was summarised by the prosecutor. “He thought someone was going to die as a result of the incidents at the property,” said Mr Hall.
The man had lost grip strength in his left hand and described a deformity in his right hand. “I used to feel safe within my own community,” he said. “The incident has transformed the way in which we view our home as being safe.”
The man concluded by saying: “It is a huge psychological impact. I will always have to be on guard. This incident has changed my life for ever.”
Defence barrister Josh Normanton, mitigating, said of Hughes: “He is deeply sorry and acknowledges he is to be punished.”
Hughes had joined the Royal Marines aged 18 and served on a number of tours.
After being discharged, he joined the French Foreign Legion and was deployed to Paris in the wake of the 2015 Charlie Hebdo terrorist attacks.
He was also discharged from the French Foreign Legion having absented himself amid a period of cocaine use, resulting in admission to a psychiatric hospital.
Hughes had since carried out decorated British embassy security work in Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine, worked to assist the National Crime Agency and latterly returned to Penrith with employment as a recycling operative for Cumbria Waste.
He was also a member of a church, a youth leader and ran up to 70 miles a week.
“He is determined to ensure this will never happen again,” said Mr Normanton of the crimes. “He is shocked by his behaviour. He is a person capable of great discipline. He is motivated to maintain complete abstinence.”
The barrister added: “This is a defendant with strong prospects of getting back into work and rehabilitating.”
Judge Nicholas Barker imposed an eight-year jail term with an extended four-year licence period, concluding Hughes did pose a danger of causing serious harm in the future. “Your willingness to use drugs in a grossly excessive way is not something that I can disregard,” concluded Judge Barker.
- Hughes must serve two-thirds of the prison sentence before being considered for released, and was banned from contacting the three family members indefinitely.
