The Court of Appeal ruled that jurors at the trial were not properly directed, according to Lord Justice Edis, who delivered the judgment alongside Mr Justice Goose and Mr Justice Butcher. The case was referred to the Court of Appeal by the Criminal Cases Review Commission last year. Benjamin Field appeared in court via video link from HMP Frankland in Durham to appeal his conviction, multiple reports indicate.
Benjamin Field was arrested for fraud and murder, according to multiple reports, after preying upon the elderly, including Peter Farquhar and Ann Moore-Martin. He was jailed for life at Oxford Crown Court in 2019 with a minimum term of 36 years. The complex case involved allegations of manipulation and deceit targeting vulnerable individuals.
I will get away with most of it.
Prosecutors alleged that Benjamin Field manipulated Peter Farquhar into believing he was suffering from mental decline to gain his property and assets, according to multiple reports. Field deceitfully entered into relationships with Peter Farquhar and Ann Moore-Martin as part of a scheme to persuade them to alter their wills, according to research sources. Multiple reports indicate that Benjamin Field pretended to fall in love with Peter Farquhar, drugged him, and got him to change his will.
Peter Farquhar died in 2015 after ingesting 60 per cent proof whisky and sleeping pills, according to multiple reports. Prosecutors alleged that Benjamin Field covertly administered tranquiliser medication and contaminated whisky to Peter Farquhar with the intention that his death would appear to be suicide or accidental, according to multiple reports. The prosecution's case centered on the claim that Field orchestrated Farquhar's death to inherit his property.
My conviction is 'unsafe' and I am in prison for a murder I 'simply didn't do'.
Police discovered notebooks in which Benjamin Field described deceiving and drugging Peter Farquhar and Ann Moore-Martin, according to multiple reports. In his notebooks, Benjamin Field wrote a timeline concluding '2015 end Peter' and drew a picture of a grave captioned 'hole's the goal', multiple reports indicate. He also listed 'ending speeches' in his notebooks, including phrases like 'I hated you all along' and 'This is my house/the future', according to multiple reports.
Psychiatrists described Benjamin Field as both 'narcissistic' and 'psychopathic', according to multiple reports. Benjamin Field admitted at his trial that he was a 'well-practised liar' who had deceived everyone in his relationships, including Peter Farquhar, multiple reports indicate. This psychological profile formed part of the prosecution's argument about Field's capacity for manipulation.
I have always maintained that I did not kill Peter Farquhar.
Jurors were told that Field had undergone a 'betrothal' ceremony with gay Mr Farquhar, while simultaneously maintaining several girlfriends and a relationship with Miss Moore-Martin, according to research sources. The court heard that Field manipulated Ann Moore-Martin by writing messages on her mirrors, purporting to be the word of God, research sources indicate. These complex relationships formed the backdrop to the alleged manipulation scheme.
Prior to his murder trial, Field admitted to two counts of burglary and three of fraud, according to research sources. The case was referred to the Court of Appeal by the Criminal Cases Review Commission last year. The current legal status of these other convictions following the quashed murder conviction has not been clarified.
The fact that the appellant secretly intended that Mr Farquhar should die did not change the act or, in law, mean that Mr Farquhar's decision to drink whisky was not free, deliberate and informed.
Benjamin Field's lawyers argued at the appeal that trial judge Mr Justice Sweeney misdirected jurors, according to multiple reports. The directions effectively withdrew from the jury the question of whether Peter Farquhar's decision to drink the whisky had been voluntary, according to Lord Justice Edis. Benjamin Field's lawyers described his conviction as unsafe and claimed he is in prison for a murder he did not commit, according to multiple reports.
Benjamin Field will remain in prison pending a potential appeal by the Crown Prosecution Service, multiple reports indicate. The CPS could take the case to the Supreme Court before any retrial, according to Lord Justice Edis. Field would remain behind bars while any appeal to the Supreme Court is pending, according to Lord Justice Edis.
There was no evidence that the appellant had 'administered' the alcohol.
Benjamin Field's appeal has horrified his victims' families, according to multiple reports. The BBC drama 'The Sixth Commandment' portrayed Peter Farquhar's treatment by Benjamin Field, multiple reports indicate. The emotional impact on the families continues as legal proceedings unfold.
Whether the Crown Prosecution Service will appeal to the Supreme Court before a retrial remains uncertain. The timeline for the retrial, if it proceeds, has not been established. The specific evidence that led to the original conviction being deemed unsafe due to jury misdirection centers on legal questions about voluntary action.
Field would remain behind bars 'for so long as the appeal (to the Supreme Court) is pending'.
The impact of the overturned conviction on the families of Peter Farquhar and Ann Moore-Martin continues to unfold as legal proceedings advance. A source with knowledge of the investigation expressed concerns about Field potentially being released, according to multiple reports. The families face continued uncertainty as the case moves through the legal system.
Ann Moore-Martin passed away from natural causes in May 2017, according to research sources. The case continues with legal uncertainties surrounding the potential retrial and any further appeals. Benjamin Field has maintained that he did not kill Peter Farquhar, according to multiple reports.