Churchwarden Convicted of Scholar's Murder Launches Fresh Appeal
Benjamin Field, a 35-year-old former churchwarden currently serving a life sentence for the murder of scholar Peter Farquhar, is vigorously protesting his innocence as his case returns to the Court of Appeal. Field was convicted in August 2019 at Oxford Crown Court for the killing of 69-year-old Mr Farquhar, following a disturbing gaslighting plot designed to inherit the victim's fortune. The case, which inspired the BBC drama series Sixth Commandment starring Timothy Spall, has now been referred back to appeal judges by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC).
Details of the Original Crime and Trial
Peter Farquhar, a respected university lecturer and author, was found dead in his home in the Buckinghamshire village of Maids Moreton in October 2015. A bottle of 60 proof whisky was discovered beside his body. During the trial, prosecutors alleged that Field had provided Mr Farquhar with alcohol and/or the sleeping medication Dalmane, leading to what appeared to be an alcoholic's death. Field had manipulated Mr Farquhar into a fake relationship and convinced him to change his will, positioning himself as the primary beneficiary.
Field admitted during proceedings that he was a snake talker who deceived the scholar but steadfastly denied any involvement in his death. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 36 years before parole eligibility. The conviction followed evidence of a sustained gaslighting campaign, where Field systematically undermined Mr Farquhar's sanity while supplying him with substances the victim was trying to avoid.
Grounds for the Appeal
The appeal centres on claims that the trial judge, Mr Justice Sweeney, provided incorrect legal guidance to the jury. Field's legal team, led by David Jeremy KC, argues that case law has evolved significantly in the seven years since the conviction, particularly regarding deception in sexual offence trials. They contend that the judge failed to instruct jurors to determine whether Field actually caused Mr Farquhar to ingest the whisky or Dalmane.
Instead, the jury was simply asked to decide if Field had handed the substances to the victim, thereby causing his death. Mr Jeremy asserted that the proximate cause of death was the ingestion itself, not the act of providing the materials. To have caused Mr Farquhar to have ingested whisky and/or Dalmane, Field would have had to have forced or threatened Mr Farquhar to have done so, or deceived him as to what he was ingesting, he told the Court of Appeal.
The barrister further argued that there was no evidence Field compelled Mr Farquhar to consume the substances that night, making the ingestion fully voluntary. His giving of whisky and/or Dalmane to Mr Farquhar could not have caused him to ingest it any more than it could have caused Mr Farquhar to drive his car had Field handed him his car keys, Mr Jeremy stated. He claimed this fundamental misdirection led to a wrongful conviction.
Prosecution's Response and Case Background
Prosecutors are vigorously opposing the appeal, urging three senior judges led by Lord Justice Edis to uphold the conviction as safe. They maintain that the jury was justified in finding that Field's provision of the substances initiated a chain of causation that ultimately resulted in Mr Farquhar's death. An initial post-mortem examination attributed the death to alcohol, but a subsequent analysis detected sleeping medication in his bloodstream, which is dangerously incompatible with alcohol consumption.
The court previously heard that Field executed a meticulous gaslighting scheme, driving Mr Farquhar to question his mental stability. Prior to his death, the University of Buckingham lecturer had published three novels, dedicating his final book to Field, who later delivered the eulogy at his funeral. Field's criminal activities only came to light when he shifted his attention to Mr Farquhar's neighbour, Ann Moore-Martin, a retired headteacher whom he also gaslighted by writing fraudulent messages on her mirrors.
Field admitted to engaging in fraudulent relationships with both pensioners as part of a scheme to alter their wills. He confessed to psychologically manipulating the retired educators but denied any role in their deaths. Although acquitted of Ms Moore-Martin's attempted murder, he defrauded her of £4,000 for a car and £27,000 for a dialysis machine. Additionally, Field has disbursed £124,665.03 to victims from the sale of a flat purchased with their savings.
Legal Proceedings and Current Status
This marks Field's second attempt to overturn his conviction, following an unsuccessful appeal in 2021 and a denied bid to reopen the challenge in 2022. Subsequent applications to the Supreme Court preceded the CCRC's involvement, leading to this week's hearing. Field appeared via video link from Durham's HMP Frankland, wearing glasses and a grey T-shirt while taking notes on a pad of paper.
The judges have reserved their judgment on the appeal, with a ruling expected at a later date. Prosecutors allege that Field harboured a profound fascination in controlling and manipulating and humiliating and killing, and that he conspired with failed magician Martyn Smith, 33, to plot these crimes. The outcome of this appeal will determine whether Field's life sentence stands or if a retrial is ordered, keeping the tragic case of Peter Farquhar in the legal spotlight.
