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Maids Moreton: Ben Field jailed author's murder Maids Moreton: Ben Field jailed for author's murder
(32 minutes later)
A churchwarden who murdered an author to inherit his estate has been jailed for a minimum of 36 years.A churchwarden who murdered an author to inherit his estate has been jailed for a minimum of 36 years.
Benjamin Field, 28, duped 69-year-old Peter Farquhar into a fake relationship to get him to change his will.Benjamin Field, 28, duped 69-year-old Peter Farquhar into a fake relationship to get him to change his will.
Mr Farquhar died in the Buckinghamshire village of Maids Moreton in October 2015 and Field tried to make his death look like an accident or suicide.Mr Farquhar died in the Buckinghamshire village of Maids Moreton in October 2015 and Field tried to make his death look like an accident or suicide.
The Baptist minister's son was found guilty of murder at Oxford Crown Court in August.The Baptist minister's son was found guilty of murder at Oxford Crown Court in August.
Field was also accused of plotting to kill Mr Farquhar's neighbour Ann Moore-Martin, 83, but was found not guilty. He was also accused of plotting to kill Mr Farquhar's neighbour Ann Moore-Martin, 83, but was found not guilty.
Miss Moore-Martin was also seduced into a fake relationship with Field. She died from natural causes in May 2017. Field admitted duping both Mr Farquhar and Miss Moore-Martin into fake relationships with him as part of a plot to get them to change their wills, but denied any involvement in their deaths.
Miss Moore-Martin died of natural causes in May 2017.
University lecturer Mr Farquhar and Field had undergone a "betrothal" ceremony while the trial heard Field and retired headmistress Miss Moore-Martin had a sexual relationship.University lecturer Mr Farquhar and Field had undergone a "betrothal" ceremony while the trial heard Field and retired headmistress Miss Moore-Martin had a sexual relationship.
Field's trial heard he carried out a sustained "gaslighting" plot aimed at making Mr Farquhar question his sanity.
Mr Farquhar's drinks were topped up with bioethanol and poteen, a high strength Irish alcohol, and his food was laced with drugs.
Jurors were told Field "suffocated him" when he was too weak to resist, and left a half-empty bottle of whisky in Mr Farquhar's room to create the misconception he had drunk himself to death.
In an attempt to get Miss Moore-Martin to change her will, Field would write "messages from God" on mirrors around her home.
The deeply religious retired teacher who never married or had children, later changed her will to leave her home to Field.
The churchwarden also wrote messages urging her to give him £27,000 towards the cost of a dialysis machine for his seriously ill brother.