Financial Gain Churchwarden’s Motivation For Murder

Benjamin Field, 28, a Churchwarden in Maids Morton has been found guilty of murdering 69-year-old author Peter Farquhar.

Field, is said to have tricked Mr Farquhar, into changing his will, before committing the murder and trying to cover it up, making it look like an accident or suicide.

During the case, Field admitted duping Mr Farquhar into a fake relationship in order to manipulate him to change his will.

Prosecutor Oliver Saxby QC told the trial Field carried out a sustained ‘gaslighting’ plot aimed at making Mr Farquhar question his sanity.

Mr Saxby said:

“Mr Farquhar’s drinks were topped up with bioethanol and poteen, a high strength Irish alcohol, and his food was laced with drugs”.

Field also faced accusations of plotting to kill 83-year-old Ann Moore-Martin, Mr Farquhar’s neighbour, but he was found not guilty of this charge.

It transpired that Field had also built a relationship with Miss Moore-Martin which was sexual, with the aim of financial gain.

Mr Saxby added:

“[Field] had a profound fascination in controlling and manipulating and humiliating and killing”.

He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced at a later date.