24 July 2023 , 19:30
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The Sixth Commandment starring seasoned actor Timothy Spall has gripped viewers as the drama airs on BBC this week.
The series tells the shocking true story of Peter Farquhar, a 69-year-old author and former lecturer, who was murdered by his lover Ben Field, played by Éanna Hardwicke.
Field's friend Martyn Smith was said to have been captivated by the trainee vicar, who took the life of the person who loved him most by poisoning him.
While Smith (Connor MacNeill) is portrayed in the series as being bewitched by his friend, it is unknown exactly how aware he was of Field's crimes.
He was charged with Peter Farquhar's murder alongside Field and conspiracy to kill neighbour Ann Moore-Martin as well as multiple counts of fraud along with one count of burglary. However, he was found not guilty of all charges.
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The Sixth Commandment starring Conor MacNeill as Martyn Smith has gripped viewers on BBC (BBC/Wild Mercury/Amanda Searle)Throughout the proceedings, the jury was presented with evidence suggesting the magician was under the influence of his friend, describing him as being "enthralled" by the murderer.
It was also alleged Smith had a financial interest in the situation and had received £10,000 from Peter's will.
In his defence, Smith maintained he had no knowledge of the church warden's romantic relationship with the former lecturer and was completely unaware of his friend's intentions to defraud him.
He also claimed he had no part in the gruesome actions that led to Peter's death and the conspiracy to harm Ann.
Timothy Spall has won rave reviews for his role as Peter (BBC/Wild Mercury/Amanda Searle)After facing accusations and standing trial, Smith was ultimately cleared of all charges. However, Field was found guilty of Peter's murder and received a life sentence with a minimum term of 36 years.
Viewers have been gripped watching the shocking story, which explains Smith was a fellow student of Mr Farquhar’s at the University of Buckingham.
Together with Field, he duped the lecturer into thinking the pair wanted to make a documentary about him before Smith ended up moving into the pensioner's house as a lodger.
Text messages between Field and Smith also revealed the latter was aware of the trainee vicar's heartless campaign in which he wrote messages around Ann Moore-Martin’s house in a bid to convince her they were from God and to leave her house to Field.
Ms Martin, 83, played by Anne Reid, was seduced by Field and reportedly delighted she had found "love" in later life. She died of natural causes in 2017 and while Field was accused of plotting to kill her, he was found not guilty.
Viewers have flocked to social media praising the must-watch series, with one tweeting: "Excellent series. Would Usually watch weekly but in this case binge watched. The acting was so good by all of the cast. True story and the program brought home how the families suffered."
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While another shared: "Wow this is so amazing, only watched two episodes so far, but my God, scary to think this is what happened to those poor people. Fantastic to watch always on the edge of your sofa. Such brilliant actors, and writers. Especially the wonderful Timothy Spall he needs to be recognised with a big/ massive award."