What happened to Ben Field from The Sixth Commandment?

Farquhar was murdered by his student and churchwarden Ben Field (Éanna Hardwicke), who went on to attempt to defraud his vulnerable neighbour, Anne Moore-Martin (Anne Reid).

Farquhar and Moore-Martin believed they had found their happy ever afters when they entered into relationships with Field.

But under the surface, Field was up to a wicked scheme and subjected Farquhar and Moore-Martin to a campaign of gaslighting and manipulation, exploiting their desire for companionship with the aim of making himself the main benefactor of their wills.

Both Farquhar and Moore-Martin had family and friends around them, but they were lacking the intimate connection gained from a romantic relationship. Field instantly picked up on that, using their religious faith – Farquhar was evangelical Christian, Moore-Martin was Catholic – and romantic poetry to worm his way into their lives and hearts.

Field slowly poisoned Farquhar while living with him, encouraging him to drink alcohol regularly while sneaking drugs into his food and cups of tea. As a result, he experienced hallucinations and night terrors, which caused him to believe he was losing his mind, an especially cruel fate given he had dedicated his life to eduction – he taught English at Manchester Grammar School and the Stowe School before becoming a guest lecturer at the University of Buckingham, where he met the PhD student.

The potent cocktail of alcohol and drugs also caused him to fall over on multiple occasions, which left him with physical injuries.

There was no evidence that former headmistress and model Moore-Martin had been drugged, but she alleged that he had given her some "white powder".

Field also subjected Farquhar and Moore-Martin to extensive gaslighting. He would hide their belongings, erase Farquhar's phone contacts and write messages on the mirrors in Moore-Martin's home which were addressed from God and encouraged her to give Field money.

In 2015, a cleaner found Farquhar dead at home on his sofa. He had been suffocated by Field, but it was initially ruled as alcohol-related and, as such, accidental.

Following Farquhar's death, Field moved in with Moore-Martin and continued with his campaign of manipulation. But after she was taken to hospital following a seizure in 2017, her niece Anne-Marie Blake contacted the police following a concerning exchange with Field.

He arrived at Moore-Martin's home to collect some belongings and she asked him a number of questions, including (via The Bucks Herald): "Have you been taking things from my aunt's house? Have you been accepting money from my aunt? Have you been trying to change my aunt's will?"

Blake told the court that he answered "yes" across the board.

What happened to Ben Field and where is he now?

In 2019, the 28-year-old was found guilty of murdering Farquhar, but he was cleared of conspiring to kill Moore-Martin and of her attempted murder. He had admitted to poisoning Farquhar and "psychologically manipulating" them both, but he refuted that he had been involved in their deaths.

He was sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum sentence of 36 years.

It was also reported that Field had a list of 100 "clients" who, like Farquhar and Moore-Martin, he considered "useful" to him. His own parents and grandparents were on that list.

Field has made two unsuccessful bids to challenge his conviction at the Court of Appeal.

And now an application has been made for the Criminal Cases Review Commission to review the case, with a view to seeing whether senior judges should hear a fresh appeal, the Oxford Mail reported on Friday (21st July).

Created in the 1990s, the CCRC is the official independent body tasked with investigating potential miscarriages of justice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Typically, it will only refer a case back to the court of appeal where someone has already unsuccessfully appealed their conviction, and where new evidence or a new legal argument has been uncovered.

A spokesman for the CCRC told the Oxford Mail: “An application has been received related to this case. It would be inappropriate for us to discuss the application or make any comment at this stage.”

The Commission was not in a position to say who had referred the case to them.

What happened to Ben Field's friend Martyn?

Field's friend Martyn Smith, a magician from Cornwall, was also accused of working with him to murder Farquhar and conspiring to murder Moore-Martin. The jury were told that he was "enthralled" by Field (via BBC) and was keen to gain financially from the situation. But Smith said that he had no idea Field was in a relationship with Farquhar and was unaware that he was attempting to defraud him.

He did, however, know that Field and Moore-Martin were in relationship, describing it as "unusual but perfectly consensual".

Smith was found not guilty of all charges.

The 32-year-old said he spoke to a counsellor for "maybe a couple of weeks" after Farquhar's death "to process" what had happened.

"I felt I needed to talk to somebody," he added.

During the trial he was also asked about a bottle of alcohol that he had left at Farquhar's house when the retired teacher wasn't drinking. Smith said he felt guilty for leaving it after being unable to fit it in his rucksack and that he blamed himself.

Field's 24-year-old brother Tom was also cleared of one count of fraud relating to a ploy in which Field swindled £27,000 out of Moore-Martin apparently to purchase a dialysis machine for his sibling, who he claimed was seriously ill.

The Sixth Commandment will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.