Where is Ben Field now? The Sixth Commandment tells the harrowing true story of his crimes

He has tried to appeal his conviction multiple times

1 year ago

BBC One’s The Sixth Commandment tells the harrowing true story of the deaths of Peter Farquhar and Ann Moore-Martin in the small Buckinghamshire village Maids Moreton in 2015.

The four episode series follows Ben Field, a student and churchwarden played by Éanna Hardwicke, who murdered Peter Farquhar and then went on to attempt to defraud his neighbour, Ann Moore-Martin.

What did Ben Field do?

via BBC

Peter Farquhar and Ann Moore-Martin thought they had begun a relationship with Ben Field, but instead he gaslit and manipulated their desire for a companion with the aim of making him the main benefactor of their wills. Ben Field used Farquhar and Moore-Martin’s religious faith and poetry to get into their lives.

While living with Peter Farquhar, Ben Field poisoned him, encouraged him to drink alcohol regularly all while putting drugs into his food and drinks. Farquhar then suffered from hallucinations and often sustained physical injuries from falling over. In 2015, Peter Farquhar was found dead at his home and it was initially ruled as accidental.

Following Peter Farquhar’s death, Ben Field moved in with Ann Moore-Martin, and he would write messages on the mirrors which she thought were from God, telling her to leave her money to Ben. When Ann Moore-Martin was taken to hospital, her niece contacted the police which led to his arrest.

What happened to Ben Field?

via BBC

In 2019, Ben Field was found guilty of murdering Peter Farquhar, but was cleared of conspiring to kill Ann Moore-Martin and her attempted murder.

Field admitted to poisoning Peter Farquhar and “psychologically manipulating” him and Ann Moore-Martin, but denied ever attempting to murdering them.

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Ben Field was sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum sentence of 36 years. When sentencing Field in October 2019, Mr Justice Sweeney said he “lived by deception and deceit and had been a well-practised and able liar”.

“You further admitted how you could manipulate and manoeuvre people, however sceptical they may have been, to achieve your ends without ever asking them to do so directly,” he added.

Where is Ben Field now in 2023?

via Thames Valley Police

Since his sentencing, Field has made two unsuccessful attempts to challenge his conviction at the Court of Appeal in 2021 and 2022.

At the Court of Appeal hearing in January 2021, Field’s barrister David Jeremy QC argued the murder conviction was “unsafe” as the trial judge misdirected the jury.

At the more recent appeal, David Jeremy QC argued the previous panel was unable to find that Peter Farquhar’s act of drinking the whisky, which was found next to his body, “was not autonomous”, and said: “Unable to make that finding, the court ought to have allowed the appeal, but instead it dismissed it.”

As reported by Oxford Mail, an application has been made for the Criminal Cases Review Commission to review the case and decide if senior judges should hear a new appeal.

The CCRC is an official independent body tasked with investigating “miscarriages of justice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland”.

A spokesperson for the CCRC told the Oxford Mail: “An application has been received related to this case. It would be inappropriate for us to discuss the application or make any comment at this stage.”

It isn’t known who referred the case to the Criminal Cases Review Commission.

All episodes of The Sixth Commandment are available to watch on BBC iPlayer.