17 July 2023 , 09:38
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Both retired teachers and deeply religious, Peter Farquhar and Ann Moore-Martin were neighbours living three doors down from each other in Maids Moreton, Bucks.
This affluent chocolate box village where they expected to live out their twilight years contently was the setting for a series of horrifying crimes – in which they both suffered and one lost their life. All at the hands of a much younger man they both believed loved them.
Ben Field romantically pursued Peter and Ann before subjecting them to despicable acts of mental torture, gaslighting them and conning them out of their money and killing Peter in 2015.
Field slithered his way into Peter’s life, professing his love for the closeted gay Christian and even convincing him to take part in a betrothal ceremony.
The second victim, ex-teacher Ann-Moore Martin (PA)While Peter believed they were in a loving relationship, Field was drugging him and deliberately making him feel that he was going mad before killing him.
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It was one of the first cases where the term gaslighting – manipulating people into doubting themselves – came into modern use.
The harrowing events are depicted in new BBC drama The Sixth Commandment, starting on Monday.
Timothy Spall stars as Peter, who met student Field while guest lecturing at the University of Buckingham, and former Coronation Street actress Anne Reid plays Ann.
Ian Farquhar, Peter’s younger brother, is hoping the new drama will serve as a warning to viewers.
Ian, 72, says: “Peter and Ann were not stupid people. Yet they were fooled by this man who was intelligent for evil purposes. Take care of your older relatives or if you’re living on your own – be very careful if somebody comes along - who’s got their eyes on your wealth or anything else, they may want from you. We don’t want anyone to go through what we have gone through.
The village of Maids Moreton, Bucks“If it seems unusual and strange, there is a fair chance it is. If it seems to be too good to be true, then it is – which is what happened to my brother.”
Peter’s murder on October 26, 2015 was effectively staged as an accident or suicide. Field suffocated him when he was too weak to resist, and left a half-empty bottle of whisky in his room to create the misconception he had drunk himself to death.
In August 2019, Field, now 29, was found guilty of murdering Peter, and defrauding him and Ann Moore-Martin out of more than £225,000. He was sentenced to 36 years in prison.
During the trial, he 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.
Timothy Spall as Peter Farquhar in The Sixth Commandment (BBC/Wild Mercury/Amanda Searle)Before Ann’s death in May 2017, she alleged Field had given her “a white powder”, but he was acquitted of the attempted murder of Ann with whom he also had a sexual relationship with. She died of natural causes aged 83.
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Peter’s death was initially recorded as accidental due to acute alcohol intoxication. Everyone knew Peter was not a big drinker but the report was accepted.
His killer was given £20,000 from his will as well as a lifetime interest in Peter’s house, staying there rent-free – as well as half share in the property with Ian.
Field agreed when Ian offered to sell the property and split the proceeds and used his windfall to buy a flat in Towcester, Northants. By then he had successfully groomed Ann.
Police records show there was a five-month overlap in the relationships before Peter was killed. Callous Field even read a eulogy at his funeral.
Anne Reid as Ann in the TV drama (BBC/Wild Mercury/Amanda Searle)“We thought Ben helped Peter towards the end of his life, “ says Ian. “The reality was he drugged my brother. My brother fell ill because of this – and who was there to help him – the great nurse. That was Ben. We thought he was doing a wonderful job but in fact, he was creating the illness to see my brother die and get his money. We believed his lies.”
The disgust Ian feels at how he was also duped by Field still rankles. He says: “It was difficult to conduct a close relationship with Peter – as we didn’t live close by.
“But we knew that this young man has become close to Peter and certainly when the illness came, it was good that there was somebody to help.”
It was only when Ann died and her claims of being drugged were made to police, that the alarm was raised – sparking a double murder investigation. Field was charged with both murders in November 2018.
It took a total of four years, 880 statements, 2,000 exhibits, an exhumation, and Peter’s diaries of the last years of his life before Field was finally exposed.
Ian and his wife Sue met Field several times and are also portrayed in the four-part drama. Remembering the first time he met Field he says: “I thought he was very odd. Part of me did think ‘what was this 20-year-old man doing with a 65-year-old?’.”
Peter's brother Ian Farquhar with his wife Sue (Tom Barnes. Channel 4 images must not be altered or manipulated in any way.)But Ian focused on how caring he seemed towards Peter and how happy his brother was in Field’s company.
An active member of Stowe Parish Church, celibacy had been Peter’s way of reconciling his homosexuality and his conservative religious beliefs.
He helped Field get a job at the church as a warden. “He saw my brother had a strong Christian faith, and he decided he would show the interest too,“ says Ian. “In court during the trial, he said he had decided to pretend to be heavily religious. Because he wanted to ingratiate himself into my brother’s bank balance. It’s incredible isn’t it?”
Just after Peter’s death, Ian held a celebration of his life at Stowe Parish Church. “Peter was an exceptional teacher and the church was packed with people who respected him,” he said. “I sat in the church pew for half an hour as ex-students came to tell me how much he inspired them.”
Ian remembers his older brother as a sociable, supportive and caring man. Teaching literature had been his life’s passion. He says: “When he was teaching he would absolutely enthuse the student.
“He just transformed their understanding of literature.
“The majority of his students cared for Peter as much as he cared for them, I saw that after his death.”
Of his memories of Peter, he says: “When he was younger he would throw a party at his house every year – there was also lots of food and drink and a lot of different people to meet.
“He was a kind, intelligent, thought-ful man who had so much more life to live. We miss him so much.”
The Sixth Commandment is on BBC1, 9pm Monday.