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Churchwarden's Murder Conviction Quashed, Retrial Ordered
17 Apr
Summary
- Benjamin Field's murder conviction for Peter Farquhar's death has been overturned.
- The Court of Appeal cited defective jury directions as grounds for the retrial.
- A retrial has been ordered, with the possibility of a Supreme Court referral.
The murder conviction of former churchwarden Benjamin Field has been overturned by the Court of Appeal, paving the way for a potential retrial. Field was originally sentenced to a minimum of 36 years in prison in 2019 for the murder of 69-year-old Peter Farquhar in Maids Moreton, Buckinghamshire, in October 2015.
His conviction followed accusations that he seduced Farquhar, a university lecturer, and spiked his drinks to make him appear mentally unstable. Prosecutors argued Field then suffocated the pensioner. Field had also defrauded Farquhar and pensioner Ann Moore-Martin, having pleaded guilty to fraud and burglary charges.
The Court of Appeal ruled that the directions given to the jury at the original trial were "defective," specifically noting that the jury was effectively prevented from considering whether Farquhar's decision to drink drugged whisky was voluntary. This led to the quashing of Field's murder conviction.
A retrial has been ordered. However, the Crown Prosecution Service has been granted leave to appeal to the Supreme Court, and Field will remain in prison while this possibility is pending. The Court of Appeal certified its decision involves an important point of law of general public importance.
