Court of Appeal Quashes Benjamin Field's Murder Conviction, Orders Retrial Over Jury Instruction Flaws

The Court of Appeal quashed Benjamin Field's conviction for the murder of Peter Farquhar on April 16, 2026. Three senior judges, Lord Justice Edis, Mr Justice Goose, and Mr Justice Butcher, delivered the ruling, stating that the directions provided to the jury during Field's trial were defective and that jurors were not properly directed.

Field was convicted in 2019 and sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 36 years.

He was found guilty of murdering Peter Farquhar, a 69-year-old university lecturer, in Maids Moreton. The prosecution alleged that Field administered tranquiliser drugs to Farquhar and contaminated his whisky without his knowledge. A retrial is ordered for Field, who remains in custody as the Crown Prosecution Service considers appealing the decision to the Supreme Court.

The Criminal Cases Review Commission referred Field's case to the Court of Appeal last year, leading to this recent decision. Field's legal team argued that there was no evidence showing that Farquhar was forced or deceived into consuming the whisky or medication. David Jeremy KC, Field's defence counsel, contended that Farquhar knew what he was being given and who was providing it.

The case has drawn significant public interest and inspired the BBC drama The Sixth Commandment.