Maids Moreton: Murderer ordered to pay £123k to author's family

Peter Farquhar was tricked into changing his will by Benjamin Field

A churchwarden jailed for murdering an author to inherit his estate has been ordered to pay more than £123,000 to his victims' family.

Benjamin Field, 29, duped Peter Farquhar, 69, 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 was found guilty of his murder in August.

A proceeds of crime hearing ruled Field must pay the sum within three months.

If not, he faces an additional 16 months on his 36-year prison sentence, Oxford Crown Court heard.

Benjamin Field was jailed for life with a minimum term of 36 years

Field was also accused of plotting to kill Mr Farquhar's neighbour Ann Moore-Martin, 83, but was found not guilty last year.

The Baptists minister's son admitted duping both Mr Farquhar and Miss Moore-Martin into fake relationships to get them to change their wills.

He had undergone a "betrothal" ceremony with Mr Farquhar and was in a sexual relationship with Miss Moore-Martin.

Retired headmistress Miss Moore-Martin died of natural causes in May 2017.

Oxford Crown Court previously heard Miss Moore-Martin could not believe she had fallen for Field's lies

Before his death, Mr Farquhar's drinks were topped up with bioethanol and poteen, a high strength Irish alcohol, and his food was laced with drugs.

Mr Farquhar, who taught part-time at the University of Buckingham and had three novels published, suffered night terrors and hallucinations which he recorded in a handwritten journal.

During the murder trial Field admitted drugging Mr Farquhar with benzodiazepines and hallucinogenic legal highs to "torment" him.

The court heard 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 impression he had drunk himself to death.

Mr Farquhar would often fall over after being drugged by Field

The proceeds of crime hearing was told Field had received £193,921.32 from the pair, but only £146,561.02 was available.

He was ordered to pay £123,111.26 to Mr Farquhar's family and £23,449.76 to the family of Miss Moore-Martin.

Kathryn Curtis of the Crown Prosecution Service said: "Field ruthlessly exploited two beloved members of a small Buckinghamshire village so they would hand their life savings over to him.

"This was a highly unusual case and today's hearing means Field can no longer profit from his cruel actions, as he has been ordered to return the swindled money to the families of Mr Farquhar and Ms Moore-Martin.

"Working to take this money from Field is the last chapter in seeing him finally face justice."