Home / Crime and Justice / Supreme Court Weighs 'Sedated Whisky' Murder Defense
Supreme Court Weighs 'Sedated Whisky' Murder Defense
13 Oct
Summary
- Appeal questions if Field legally caused death by sedated whisky.
- Field was convicted of murdering Peter Farquhar in 2019.
- Court considers if Farquhar agreed to be drugged.
Benjamin Field, convicted of murdering Peter Farquhar and sentenced to a minimum of 36 years imprisonment in 2019, is facing a Supreme Court appeal. This case centers on whether Field could have legally caused Mr. Farquhar's death by administering potentially sedated whisky.
Prosecutors at Field's original trial argued that he manipulated Mr. Farquhar into believing he was losing his mind, secretly drugging him and spiking his whisky. The aim, they claimed, was to make his death appear as suicide or an accident so Field could inherit his assets.
Field had previously admitted to burglary and fraud offenses related to his relationships with Mr. Farquhar and his neighbor, Ann Moore-Martin, which involved persuading them to alter their wills. He received a concurrent 16-year sentence for these crimes.
The Supreme Court is now considering the complex legal question of whether Field could be held responsible if Mr. Farquhar agreed to the plan, fully aware that it was intended to kill him. The defense argues that any act of giving whisky or sedatives was not capable of being a legally effective cause of death if Mr. Farquhar willingly consumed them.
