{"id":7264,"date":"2026-04-17T07:06:15","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T07:06:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/7264\/"},"modified":"2026-04-17T07:06:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T07:06:15","slug":"why-was-churchwarden-murder-conviction-quashed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/7264\/","title":{"rendered":"Why was churchwarden murder conviction quashed?"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Thursday, former churchwarden Benjamin Field was told by the Court of Appeal that his murder conviction had been quashed<\/a> and he could face a retrial.<\/p>\n

In 2019, he had been sentenced to a minimum of 36 years in prison following the death of 69-year-old Peter Farquhar in Maids Moreton, Buckinghamshire.<\/p>\n

Six years on, what happens next could see Field eventually released from jail – but what has changed?<\/p>\n

What was the case?<\/p>\n

Author Peter Farquhar, 69, died in his home village of Maids Moreton, on the outskirts of Buckingham, in October 2015.<\/p>\n

He had been found in his living room by his cleaner with a half-empty bottle of whisky next to him. The coroner concluded he died of acute alcohol intoxication.<\/p>\n

In 2018, churchwarden Benjamin Field was arrested, accused of murdering the pensioner and trying to make it look like an accident or suicide.<\/p>\n

Prosecutors said he had seduced the university lecturer and then spiked his drinks in an attempt to make him feel like he was losing his mind.<\/p>\n

Before his death, Farquhar had changed his will, giving Field a life interest in his house. When the house was sold, he split the proceeds with Farquhar’s brother.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Benjamin Field admitted to having fake relationships with two pensioners – Peter Farquhar and Ann Moore-Martin [Thames Valley Police]<\/p>\n

Pensioner Ann Moore-Martin lived three doors down from the author. She died of natural causes in a care home in 2017.<\/p>\n

Before Farquhar’s death, Field had moved in with the 83-year-old. He later told the court this was because “early on I saw her as someone I could benefit from”.<\/p>\n

He gave her items, such as a framed picture of his face, and she gave him thousands of pounds when he said he needed to buy a new car.<\/p>\n

The churchwarden also wrote messages on her mirror, hoping she would believe they were messages from God. Some messages told her to leave her house to Field.<\/p>\n

In 2017, while in hospital, Moore-Martin confided in her niece about the relationship and a police investigation started.<\/p>\n

She had reversed her will to benefit her family and not Field before she died.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

Peter Farquhar lived at the house circled on the left, and Ann Moore-Martin was his neighbour in the house marked on the right [PA Media]<\/p>\n

What did the court say?<\/p>\n

Once police established the link between Field, Moore-Martin and Farquhar – and 19 months after the latter’s death – a decision was taken to exhume the 69-year-old’s body.<\/p>\n

Following a second post-mortem examination it was established the author had consumed less alcohol than previously thought and there were sedatives in his system.<\/p>\n

After his arrest, Field admitted starting fake relationships with the pensioners as part of a plot to get them to change their wills. He denied any involvement in their deaths.<\/p>\n

\"Peter<\/p>\n

Peter Farquhar was said to have been tormented by a “mystery illness” which often caused him to fall over [Thames Valley Police]<\/p>\n

Oxford Crown Court heard how Farquhar’s drinks were spiked with bioethanol and poteen, a high-strength Irish alcohol, while his food was laced with drugs.<\/p>\n

Field admitted to the court that he drugged the university lecturer for no other reason than to “torment” him.<\/p>\n

Prosecutors argued that Field suffocated the pensioner while he was too weak to resist, and left the half-empty bottle of whisky in Farquhar’s room to make it seem like he had drunk himself to death.<\/p>\n

In August 2019, at the end of a 10-week trial, a jury found him not guilty of plotting to murder Moore-Martin but he was convicted of murdering Farquhar.<\/p>\n

He had previously pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud related to the fake relationships and defrauding Moore-Martin. He also admitted two counts of burglary.<\/p>\n

What has changed?<\/p>\n

In 2021, Field attempted to have his murder conviction overturned at the Court of Appeal.<\/p>\n

His barrister claimed the conviction was “unsafe” as the trial judge misdirected the jury.<\/p>\n

He lost that appeal, with a written ruling from the court saying “the approach of the judge was correct”.<\/p>\n

In January 2022, he challenged the decision with his lawyers arguing the judgment was flawed, but the appeal was refused again.<\/p>\n

\"Framed<\/p>\n

Benjamin Field gave a framed photo of himself to Ann Moore-Martin [Thames Valley Police]<\/p>\n

His conviction was referred by the Criminal Cases Review Commission under the exceptional circumstances provision in August 2025.<\/p>\n

This allows a new appeal, even if there is no new evidence, if there is a possibility that the court could find the conviction unsafe.<\/p>\n

It was argued by Field’s barrister that there was no proof the pensioner was deceived into drinking drugged whisky.<\/p>\n

He told the Court of Appeal: “Mr Farquhar knew what he was being given and knew who he was being given it by.”<\/p>\n

\"Peter<\/p>\n

By giving Farquhar the drink, Field did not make him ingest it, his barrister told the Court of Appeal [Thames Valley Police]<\/p>\n

In a ruling on Thursday, three senior judges quashed the conviction and ordered a retrial, saying directions given to jurors at the trial had been “defective”.<\/p>\n

Lord Justice Edis said: “The directions effectively withdrew from the jury the question of whether Mr Farquhar’s decision to drink the whisky had been voluntary.”<\/p>\n

Before a retrial can take place, the Crown Prosecution Service has been given the opportunity to refer the case to the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n

The judge added that Field would remain in prison as long as that appeal is pending.<\/p>\n

A CPS spokesperson said: “The Court of Appeal has found Field’s conviction to be unsafe based on the directions given at trial to the jury.<\/p>\n

“It has also, exceptionally, certified that its decision involves an important point of law of general public importance and has given the prosecution leave to appeal to the Supreme Court.”<\/p>\n

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