Peter Farquhar

{{Short description|British novelist, teacher and murder victim}}

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| caption = Peter Farquhar with his novel A Bitter Heart

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| birth_name = Peter Anthony Scott Farquhar

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1946|01|03|df=y}}

| birth_place = Edinburgh, Midlothian

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| death_place = Maids Moreton, Buckinghamshire

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| occupation = Teacher

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| alma_mater = Churchill College, Cambridge

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Peter Anthony Scott Farquhar (3 January 1946 – 26 October 2015) was a British teacher of English who taught at Manchester Grammar School and Stowe School. He later lectured at Buckingham University. He also wrote three novels. He was murdered on 26 October 2015 by his former student and lodger, Ben Field, with whom he was in a 'covenanted friendship'.

Early life

File:Front of MGS.jpg

Peter Farquhar was born in Edinburgh on 3 January 1946, the son of a physician. He was educated at Latymer Upper School in London and then Churchill College, Cambridge, where he achieved a first-class degree in English.[https://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/nov/18/peter-farquhar-obituary Peter Farquhar obituary.] Michael Crick, The Guardian, 29 November 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2018.

Career

File:Stowe House - geograph.org.uk - 1155490.jpg

Farquhar was a teacher of English for 34 years, firstly at Manchester Grammar School (1970–82) then Stowe School (1983–2004). From 2007 he was an occasional lecturer at University of Buckingham. He was described by his friend and former pupil at Manchester, Michael Crick, as having "an acute understanding of the problems of modern adolescent boys. For some, he became almost like a second father."

His first novel, A Wide Wide Sea, a coming-of-age story about three teenagers from Edinburgh who travel to France and Spain on a voyage of self-discovery, was written in 1997 but not published until 2015. It was published only after two Buckingham students, Ben Field (who later murdered Farquhar) and Martyn Smith, discovered the manuscript and persuaded Farquhar to publish it.[https://www.buckinghamtoday.co.uk/news/novel-published-after-18-years-1-6912345 Novel published after 18 years.] Buckingham & Winslow Advertiser, 22 August 2015. Retrieved 19 January 2018. His novel, Between Boy and Man, was published in 2010. The plot was largely based on Farquhar's own experience at Stowe and concerned the struggle of a school chaplain to reconcile his Christian faith with his homosexuality.

The character of Dr. Farquhar, played by Toby Stephens in the 2013 film Believe, directed by the former Manchester Grammar School pupil David Scheinmann, was partly based on Farquhar.

File:Saint Mary's Church, Stowe - Buckinghamshire, England - DSC07257.jpg

Farquhar was an evangelical Christian who was a lay minister and once considered seeking ordination. He worshipped and preached at Stowe Parish Church for 20 years.

Murder

Farquhar died in Maids Moreton, Buckinghamshire, on 26 October 2015. His death was initially recorded as "accidental" as the result of acute alcohol ingestion.[http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/15855610.Scots_academic_at_heart_of_murder_and_fraud_investigation_was_originally_thought_to_have_died_of_alcohol_poisoning/ Scots academic at heart of murder and fraud investigation was originally thought to have died of alcohol poisoning.] Stephen Naysmith, The Herald, 17 January 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2018. Evidence produced in court indicated that Farquhar was 'betrothed' (through a private informal ceremony) to his former student Ben Field in 2014.{{cite news |title=Buckinghamshire murder accused 'was betrothed to victim' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-48219919|accessdate=15 August 2023 |publisher=BBC News |date=9 May 2019}} In January 2018, Field and magician friend Martyn Smith were arrested by police on suspicion of murdering Farquhar and attempting to murder his neighbour Ann Moore-Martin, 83.{{cite news |title='Evil' churchwarden guilty of murdering author |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-49002436 |accessdate=14 January 2020 |publisher=BBC News |date=9 August 2019}}[https://news.sky.com/story/maids-moreton-three-arrested-in-murder-probe-over-pensioners-deaths-11210223 Murder inquiry: 'Church warden and magician' arrested.] Sky News, 17 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.[https://www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/article/poison-suspected-after-retired-teachers-die-in-village-of-maids-moreton-b9n7mqp93 Poison suspected after retired teachers die in village of Maids Moreton.] Katie Gibbons and Fiona Hamilton, The Times, 18 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018. {{subscription required}}[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-42704261 Maids Moreton deaths: Three arrests in murder investigation.] BBC News, 16 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.

Smith had been staying at pensioner Liz Zettl's house. Zettl was friends with both Moore-Martin and Farquhar. Smith and Field were also accused of possessing a copy of Zettl’s will, with the intention of finding out how much the pensioner was 'worth', and it is believed that she was intended to be Field’s third victim. At the trial, Zettl became the oldest court witness in British history when she testified aged 101.{{cite web | url=https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/who-s-who-in-gripping-truecrime-series-the-sixth-commandment-b1099186.html | title=The real-life stories behind true-crime series the Sixth Commandment | date=9 August 2023 }}

During his trial at Oxford Crown Court, Field admitted drugging Farquhar with benzodiazepines and hallucinogens to "torment" him, telling the jury that he did it "for no other reason other than it was cruel, to upset and torment Peter – purely out of meanness". He also spiked his drink with bioethanol and poteen in order to make him question his sanity. According to prosecutors, Field suffocated Farquhar when he was too weak to resist.

=Conviction and sentence=

On 9 August 2019, Field was convicted of Farquhar's murder.{{cite news |title='Evil' churchwarden guilty of murdering author |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-49002436 |accessdate=14 January 2020 |publisher=BBC News |date=9 August 2019}} He was acquitted of the attempted murder of Ann Moore-Martin, who died of natural causes on 12 May 2017. Smith was acquitted of all charges.

On 19 October 2019, Field was sentenced to life imprisonment,{{Cite web|url=https://www.thelawpages.com/court-cases/Benjamin-Luke-Field-27181-1.law|title=Oxford Crown Court Sentence|last=|first=|date=|website=|access-date=}} with a minimum term of 36 years.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-50096418|title=Maids Moreton: Ben Field jailed for author's murder|date=18 October 2019|via=www.bbc.co.uk}}

=Appeals=

Field first appealed against his conviction in March 2021. It was argued at the Court of Appeal that the trial judge, Mr Justice Sweeney, misdirected the jury over the 'chain of causation' involved in Mr Farquhar's death – specifically, whether the victim was 'tricked' by Field into drinking whisky, or had done so out of choice. The appeal was rejected.{{cite web | url=https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/23672697.sixth-commandment-killer-ben-field-launch-fresh-court-appeal/ | title=Sixth Commandment killer Ben Field could launch fresh court appeal | date=21 July 2023 }}{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-56443124|title=Maids Moreton: Benjamin Field loses murder conviction appeal|date=18 March 2021|via=www.bbc.co.uk}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-60167282|title=Maids Moreton: Benjamin Field in second bid to overturn murder conviction|date=28 January 2022|via=www.bbc.co.uk}}

In January 2022 Field appealed a second time against his conviction, but this was also rejected.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-60167282|title=Maids Moreton: Benjamin Field in second bid to overturn murder conviction|date=28 January 2022|via=www.bbc.co.uk}}{{cite web | url=https://www.heart.co.uk/showbiz/tv-movies/is-ben-field-still-in-prison-the-sixth-commandment/ | title=Is Ben Field still in prison? What happened to the killer portrayed in the Sixth Commandment? }}

In July 2023, it was reported that Field had applied for the Criminal Cases Review Commission to investigate whether to refer his case to the Court of Appeal.[https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/23672697.criminal-cases-review-commission-looking-ben-field-murder/ Sixth Commandment killer Ben Field could launch fresh court appeal]

=Restitution of funds=

In August 2023, Field paid more than £124,000 to the families of Farquhar and Moore-Martin, after he was ordered to sell his flat in Towcester following a court confiscation order.{{cite news |title=Maids Moreton murderer made to sell flat to pay £124k to victims' families |work=BBC News |date=21 August 2023 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-66518951 |access-date=23 August 2023}}

Selected publications

Between Boy and Man. AuthorHouse, 2010. {{ISBN|978-1452039312}}
A Bitter Heart. AuthorHouse, 2012. {{ISBN|978-1477223451}}
A Wide Wide Sea. Farquhar Studies, 2015. {{ISBN|978-1326343385}}

In popular media

"A Diary From the Grave", a documentary about the murders, aired in January 2020 on Channel 4 as part of the Catching a Killer series.{{cite news |last1=Cremona |first1=Patrick |title=Everything you need to know about Catching a Killer: A Diary From the Grave |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2020-01-13/everything-you-need-to-know-about-catching-a-killer-a-diary-from-the-grave/ |accessdate=14 January 2020 |work=Radio Times |date=13 January 2020 |language=en}}

Farquhar is depicted by Timothy Spall in the 2023 BBC One drama The Sixth Commandment, written by Sarah Phelps, about the gaslighting of Farquhar and Moore-Martin by Field and Farquhar's murder by Field. Moore-Martin is played by Anne Reid, Field by Éanna Hardwicke, along with Smith being portrayed by Conor MacNeill and Zettl by Sheila Hancock.{{cite news|last=Harrison|first=Ellie|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/the-sixth-commandment-ben-field-murder-b2377618.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230719082818/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/the-sixth-commandment-ben-field-murder-b2377618.html|title='Unbeknown to him, he was narrating what was being done to him': How The Sixth Commandment brought a harrowing British case to the screen|date=|work=The Independent|accessdate=19 July 2023|archivedate=19 July 2023}} The miniseries first aired in July 2023.{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2020/the-sixth-commandment | title=BBC One commissions factual drama the Sixth Commandment (W/T), from writer Sarah Phelps }}{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/jul/17/tv-tonight-timothy-spall-stars-in-dark-drama-about-true-story-of-seduction-and | title=TV tonight: Timothy Spall stars in dark drama about true story of seduction and murder | website=TheGuardian.com | date=17 July 2023 | last1=Harrison | first1=Phil | last2=Richardson | first2=Hollie | last3=Rosseinsky | first3=Katie | last4=Davies | first4=Hannah J. }}