Ben Field, a deputy churchwarden in Buckinghamshire, is serving a life sentence for the murder of Peter Farquhar in 2015. The case, now dramatised in the BBC series The Sixth Commandment, reveals a chilling plot where Field manipulated vulnerable individuals into fake relationships to inherit their estates.
Field met Peter Farquhar, a retired head of English at Stowe School, at the University of Buckingham, where Farquhar was a guest lecturer. Both attended Stowe Parish Church, where Field became a deputy churchwarden. Farquhar, a lonely gay man struggling with his Anglican faith, believed he had found love with Field. The pair underwent a 'betrothal' ceremony in 2014.
Field also targeted Farquhar's neighbour, Ann Moore-Martin, a retired head teacher. She became infatuated with Field, described by her sister-in-law as 'a love-struck teenager'. Field used gaslighting tactics on Farquhar, moving objects and drugging his food, making him question his sanity. Farquhar changed his will to make Field the main beneficiary.
Farquhar died in 2015, initially thought to be from acute alcohol intoxication. However, a second post-mortem after exhumation revealed sedatives in his system and a lower alcohol level. Field was arrested and admitted duping both victims, but denied involvement in their deaths. He was heard saying, 'I think I will get away with most of it.'
Field also defrauded Moore-Martin, receiving £4,400 for a car and £27,000 for a dialysis machine. He wrote messages on her mirror, including instructions to leave her house to him, hoping she would believe they were from God. Moore-Martin became ill in 2017 and died of natural causes. Her niece contacted police after learning about Field's manipulation, leading to the investigation.
