LOWELL — Nearly a year ago, Sebastian DeGout’s mother filed a petition, urging his mandatory hospitalization. She warned that his mental health struggles and drug use made him a danger to himself and others.
The petition was denied.
Now, the 38-year-old DeGout stands accused of stabbing his mother more than 10 times with a folding knife inside her 18th Street apartment in Dracut last Saturday.
These details, along with accounts of the violent attack, surfaced during DeGout’s 58A dangerousness hearing in Lowell District Court on Thursday. At the urging of the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, Judge William Travaun Bailey deemed DeGout a public threat and ordered him held without bail as the case moves forward.
“There’s no question he’s a danger based on the facts of this case, your honor,” Middlesex Assistant District Attorney Christina Morris told Bailey. “You can’t stab someone ten times on their neck, their back, their legs. This indicates a prolonged incident. … He stabbed her again, again, and again.”
During the hearing, Morris referenced Dracut Police Department incident reports to outline the case. At the time of the alleged attack, at approximately 5 p.m., DeGout’s mother had been on the phone with her sister in New York. The sister later told police that, “out of the blue,” her sibling began screaming through the phone as though she was being attacked and pleaded with her to call the police. The call then disconnected. The sister attempted to call her back, but was unsuccessful. Though a state away, she contacted authorities in an attempt to get help for her sister.
The police report states that following the alleged attack, DeGout left the apartment on foot, while the alleged victim sought help by banging on a neighbor’s door. Neighbors attempted to stop the bleeding by tying sweatshirts around her wounds.
Police said the 55-year-old woman suffered “at least 10 wounds,” including lacerations to her neck, back, abdomen, arm, and leg. Due to the severity of her condition, she was unable to communicate with officers at the scene and was airlifted to Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Burlington in critical condition.
Police said in the report that there were blood spatter and stains on walls, floors, and blankets inside the apartment. Morris pointed out during Thursday’s hearing that blood smeared across a wall suggested a violent struggle took place.
Responding officers, meanwhile, found DeGout “walking at a fast pace” on Methuen Street and Beacon Street shortly after the alleged attack. During the hearing, DeGout’s attorney, Thomas Mixon, emphasized his client’s cooperation with police, noting that DeGout surrendered without resistance and willingly informed officers that the knife they sought was in his pants pocket.
According to police, the “multicolored metallic folding knife” recovered from DeGout had blood on it, while DeGout himself had blood stains on his hands, pants, and behind his right ear.
The police report states that the woman underwent surgery the night of the alleged attack. She remains hospitalized.
Police said in their report that DeGout’s brother informed authorities that DeGout had been living with him in New York for a period of time. The brother disclosed that DeGout had made comments and threats about harming their mother, stating he intended to hurt her if she “keeps (expletive) with him.”
DeGout, currently identified as a Dracut resident, has been charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, and mayhem. Court documents show that at the time of this alleged attack, he also had an outstanding arrest warrant for a drug-related offense.
During Thursday’s hearing, Morris brought up DeGout’s criminal history, including another 2019 stabbing incident that took place in Lowell. Mixon, however, emphasized that the charges related to that case were ultimately dismissed.
Mixon went on to unsuccessfully argue that the prosecution failed to meet “a burden of clear and convincing evidence” to prove that DeGout poses a danger to the community.
“While there was blood on the scene and the alleged victim certainly suffered some injuries in this matter, it still remains to be seen what happened in that apartment,” Mixon said.
If his client were found to be a threat, Mixon proposed several conditions for DeGout’s release to ensure public safety. These included seeking employment — Mixon noted that, though DeGout is currently unemployed, he had a job lined up in Lowell — reporting regularly to probation, abstaining from alcohol and drugs, and undergoing a psychological evaluation, which Mixon described as “crucial” for his client.
Mixon suggested that DeGout’s mental health history, as detailed in the petition filed by the alleged victim — which was filed in New York in April 2024 — could play a critical role in his defense. Mixon highlighted the petition’s descriptions of DeGout’s substance abuse and mental health, referencing diagnoses of “bipolar and schizophrenic disorders” as potential factors to consider in evaluating criminal responsibility.
DeGout is scheduled to return to court for a probable cause hearing on April 18.
Follow Aaron Curtis on X @aselahcurtis, or on Bluesky@aaronscurtis.bsky.social.
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