On Wednesday, a 39-year-old Dracut man was sentenced in Middlesex Superior Court after admitting to a brutal stabbing that left his mother fighting for her life last year. Judge Christopher Barry‑Smith ordered Sebastian Degout to serve three to six years in state prison, followed by supervised probation, and required that he undergo mental health and substance abuse evaluations. Relatives and court records have painted the case as the tragic culmination of long-running psychiatric illness.
Guilty plea and sentence
Degout pleaded guilty to armed assault with intent to murder, mayhem, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, accepting a plea deal that the court described as trying to balance punishment with treatment needs, according to the Lowell Sun. The judge imposed a three to six year state prison term followed by three years of supervised probation, along with a requirement that Degout complete a mental health evaluation and follow any recommended care. The agreement also calls for a substance abuse evaluation and random screenings, the outlet reported.
Victim injuries and family background
Prosecutors said Degout’s mother, Rosa Degout, was stabbed roughly 10 times on March 15, 2025, suffering catastrophic injuries that included a 5 to 6 inch cut across her neck that severed a vocal cord, more than 250 stitches, and a medically induced four day coma, as reported by the Lowell Sun. Family statements and court filings say Degout has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia since late adolescence and that relatives sought help last year. “The tragedy ... was a predictable outcome,” family members told the paper, and Rosa said she has forgiven her son, calling him “a stranger created by psychosis.”
How police say it unfolded
According to a Dracut Police Department release, officers were called to 18th Street on March 15, 2025, for a reported stabbing. Police later found Degout about a half mile away and recovered a knife believed to be the weapon. Local coverage, including the Newport Dispatch, reported that officers located him near Humphrey and Methuen streets in Lowell and that he surrendered without resistance. Hoodline first covered the March 2025 arrest in a local report titled “Dracut man charged,” while the Newport Dispatch carried the police account as well.
Legal context
The indictment included charges that carried potential maximum sentences adding up to decades behind bars, but the parties ultimately negotiated the shorter term that the judge imposed. Prosecutors had previously offered a 13 to 15 year state prison sentence in exchange for guilty pleas, yet the court accepted the three to six year deal. Under Massachusetts rules, Degout will be eligible for parole after serving roughly two thirds of his prison term.
What’s next
Following his release, Degout will be required to complete the ordered evaluations and comply with any recommended treatment as conditions of his supervised probation. Defense counsel said he was transferred for psychiatric care to Bridgewater State Hospital and later to Old Colony Correctional Center during the case. The resolution has left family members and local advocates pointing to the gap between serious mental health needs and what the criminal justice system is equipped to handle.
