Ex-church warden’s murder conviction to be reviewed again by appeal judges

The murder conviction of a former church warden for killing a university lecturer following a campaign of physical and mental torture is to be referred to the Court of Appeal.

Benjamin Field, 34, is serving a life sentence for the murder of Peter Farquhar, 69, after a jury accepted that he had driven the pensioner to think he was losing his mind in order to inherit his house and money.

The prosecution case at trial was that Field secretly gave Mr Farquhar tranquiliser drugs and spiked his whisky, hoping that his eventual death would look like suicide or an accident.

Field, of Wellingborough Road, Olney, Buckinghamshire, was ordered to serve at least 36 years behind bars in October 2019 after being convicted of Mr Farquhar’s murder following a trial at Oxford Crown Court.

On Tuesday, legal review body the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) said it would refer the case to the Court of Appeal over a legal argument linked to whether Mr Farquhar had been tricked into drinking the whisky or had done so willingly.

Field previously attempted to appeal against his conviction but this was rejected by the Court of Appeal in 2021. He was denied permission to reopen the appeal in March the following year.

He then applied to the CCRC to consider his case in September 2022.

Field’s crime came to light after he began targeting Mr Farquhar’s neighbour, Ann Moore-Martin, in the village of Maids Moreton, Buckinghamshire.

The sexually promiscuous Field also manipulated Miss Moore-Martin, a deeply religious retired headteacher, by writing messages on her mirrors purporting to be from God.

He admitted fraudulently being in relationships with the pensioners as part of his plan to get them to change their wills.

Mr Farquhar, who was torn about his sexuality because of his religion, died in October 2015 while Miss Moore-Martin died in May 2017 from natural causes.

Field underwent a “betrothal” ceremony with gay Mr Farquhar while also having a string of girlfriends and a relationship with Miss Moore-Martin.