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Killer's Freedom Bid: Juror Guidance Questioned
5 Mar
Summary
- Convicted murderer Benjamin Field seeks release via appeal.
- His conviction stems from a plot to inherit a scholar's fortune.
- New legal arguments challenge jury instructions from the trial.
A churchwarden convicted of murdering a scholar is now protesting his innocence, seeking a fresh bid for freedom. Benjamin Field, serving a life sentence for the 2015 death of Peter Farquhar, had been accused of 'gaslighting' the 69-year-old in a scheme to inherit his fortune.
Field was jailed in August 2019 for a minimum of 36 years. However, the case has been referred to the Court of Appeal by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC). Field's lawyers contend that a judge gave incorrect guidance to the jury during the original trial, citing changes in case law regarding deception.
Specifically, they argue the jury should have been asked to determine if Field actively caused Mr. Farquhar to ingest the fatal substances, rather than simply handing them over. The prosecution, however, asserts the conviction is safe, arguing the jury was entitled to find a 'chain of causation'.
Field's crimes came to light after he targeted another pensioner, Ann Moore-Martin, whom he also manipulated. He admitted to fraudulently entering relationships to alter wills but denied involvement in their deaths. The Court of Appeal is set to reserve its judgment.
