Churchwarden Convicted in Gaslighting Murder Case Launches New Freedom Bid
Benjamin Field, a 35-year-old former churchwarden convicted of gaslighting and murdering author Peter Farquhar in a plot to inherit his fortune, has launched a fresh bid for freedom. Field, who is serving a life sentence with a minimum of 36 years, appeared before the Court of Appeal via video link from HMP Frankland in Durham, claiming he "simply didn't do" the crime.
The Murder and Gaslighting Plot
Field admitted to being a "snake talker" who duped 69-year-old Peter Farquhar into a fake relationship to manipulate him into changing his will. However, he denied killing Farquhar, whose body was found in his home in Maids Moreton, Buckinghamshire, in October 2015. A post-mortem examination determined the cause of death as "acute alcohol toxicity," with a bottle of 60 proof whisky found beside him.
The prosecution accused Field of providing Farquhar with alcohol and/or sleeping pills called Dalmane, leading to what appeared to be an alcoholic's death, thereby allowing Field to inherit the fortune. Field was convicted at Oxford Crown Court in August 2019. The case later inspired the BBC drama The Sixth Commandment, starring Timothy Spall as Farquhar.
Legal Arguments in the Appeal
Field's appeal, referred by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), centers on whether his conviction is "unsafe." His lawyers, led by David Jeremy KC, argued that trial judge Mr Justice Sweeney misdirected the jury on how to consider Field's guilt. They contended that the prosecution failed to prove Field caused Farquhar to ingest the substances, rather than it being a voluntary act by Farquhar.
David Jeremy stated, "The proximate cause of Mr Farquhar's death was his ingestion of whisky and/or Dalmane, not the act of giving those substances to him." He emphasized that there was no evidence Field forced or deceived Farquhar into ingestion on the night of his death, comparing it to handing someone car keys not causing them to drive.
Prosecution's Counterarguments
The prosecution, led by David Perry KC, is contesting the appeal, urging judges led by Lord Justice Edis to uphold the conviction. They argue that the jury was entitled to find Field's provision of substances started a "chain of causation" resulting in Farquhar's death. The prosecution maintains that once this chain began, the only issue was whether ingestion was voluntary, which they claim it wasn't, thus not breaking the chain.
During the trial, it was revealed Field carried out a sustained gaslighting plot to make Farquhar question his sanity while providing sleeping tablets and alcohol, despite Farquhar's attempts to abstain. A later post-mortem found sleeping medication in his bloodstream, which should not be mixed with alcohol.
Background and Previous Appeals
Prior to his death, Peter Farquhar, a University of Buckingham lecturer, had published three novels and dedicated his final book to Field. Field even delivered the eulogy at Farquhar's funeral. Field first appealed his conviction in 2021, which failed, followed by a refused bid to reopen the challenge in 2022. Applications to the Supreme Court preceded the CCRC's involvement, leading to this week's hearing.
The judges have reserved their judgment on the appeal until a later date, leaving Field's fate uncertain as he continues to serve his sentence for one of the most notorious gaslighting murder cases in recent British history.
