‘Calculating’ church warden guilty of murdering lecturer lover in plot over victim’s will
AN evil church warden faces life imprisonment after being convicted of murdering a university lecturer following a campaign of physical and mental torture.
Benjamin Field (28) was found guilty at Oxford Crown Court of killing Peter Farquhar (69) in the village of Maids Moreton, Buckinghamshire, in order to benefit from his will.
His co-accused, magician Martyn Smith (32), was found not guilty.
The pair were both cleared of a charge of conspiracy to murder Mr Farquhar’s near neighbour Ann Moore-Martin, and Field was also acquitted of her attempted murder.
Field’s younger brother Tom (24) was found not guilty of a £27,000 dialysis machine fraud by pretending to Ms Moore-Martin that he was seriously ill.
The Baptist minister’s son showed no emotion as the jury returned the unanimous guilty verdict.
Trial judge Mr Justice Sweeney remanded Field into custody to be sentenced later following the preparation of a psychiatric report.
His parents Ian and Beverley, who had attended each day of the trial, hugged younger son Tom in court after his acquittal.
Senior investigating officer Mark Glover, a retired detective chief inspector, said Field fitted the profile of a psychopath.
“Cruel, calculating, manipulative, deceitful. I don’t think evil is too strong a word for him,” he said.
Mr Glover said Field had taken pleasure in tormenting his victim and torturing him physically and mentally, adding: “Everything is about Ben Field and Ben Field’s gain.”
Chris Derrick, head of complex casework unit at CPS Thames-Chiltern, added: “I think torture is a word that can be used to described Benjamin Fields’ behaviour.”
“He is clearly a very calculating and ruthless man who spent a great deal of time planning what he was going to do.”
The trial, which began in April, heard that Field killed Mr Farquhar by making his death look like an accident or suicide.
The University of Buckinghamshire graduate had admitted fraudulently being in relationships with Mr Farquhar and Ms Moore-Martin as part of his plan to get them to change their wills.
He accepted he had “psychologically manipulated” the retired teachers but denied any involvement in their deaths.
Field spiked Mr Farquhar’s food and drink with neat alcohol and hallucinogenic drugs, while also writing messages on Ms Moore-Martin’s mirrors purporting to be from God.
Mr Farquhar, who was torn about his sexuality because of his religion, died in October 2015, while Ms Moore-Martin, who was targeted after Mr Farquhar’s death, passed away in May 2017 from natural causes.
Field had undergone a “betrothal” ceremony with gay Mr Farquhar while having a string of girlfriends, and was in a sexual relationship with Ms Moore-Martin, who was 57 years his senior.
Prosecutors said Field had a “profound fascination in controlling and manipulating and humiliating and killing”.
The PhD student had drawn up a “100 clients” list, including his parents, grandparents and brother, who the prosecution said were future targets.
Field told the jury he had created fake relationships with Mr Farquhar and Ms Moore-Martin in order to benefit financially from their deaths — but he said that he had not wished them dead.
“The mirror writing was all fake, the relationship was all fake and done with gain in mind,” he said.
“I have deceived absolutely everybody that I have any kind of relationship with.”