What really happened to Peter Farquhar from The Sixth Commandment?
The true crime drama is airing on BBC One and iPlayer - but what happened to Timothy Spall's character?
BBC One's true crime drama The Sixth Commandment tells the shocking story of author Peter Farquhar, who was manipulated and murdered by a churchwarden in Buckinghamshire in 2015.
The series, written and executive produced by Sarah Phelps, features Timothy Spall as Farquhar, who was killed by Benjamin Field, played by Éanna Hardwicke.
Farquhar and his elderly neighbour Ann Moore-Martin, played by Anne Reid, were duped into fake relationships with Field as part of a plot to get them to change their wills so Field could extort money from them.
Field was also accused of plotting to kill Moore-Martin, but was found not guilty. Writer Phelps was vocal about the importance of centring the victims when it comes to true crime.
"I think the victim is always the most important element. One thing I didn't want to do was to glamourise the killer," she said.
"A lot of TV programmes give you the sense that you're falling under the spell of the killer, who’s incredibly intelligent, with some grand plan, but I wanted to understand and honour the victims, to give them life and dignity."
Here's everything we know about the true story below.
What really happened to Peter Farquhar from The Sixth Commandment?
In 2019, Ben Field was found guilty of murdering author Peter Farquhar for financial gain after tricking him into changing his will. Field, who was 28 when he was charged with the murder, manipulated 69-year-old Farquhar and tried to make his death look like an accident or suicide.
Farquhar died in the Buckinghamshire village of Maids Moreton in October 2015, while his 83-year-old neighbour Ann Moore-Martin, who lived three doors away, died aged in May 2017 from natural causes. Field was also accused of plotting to kill Moore-Martin, but was found not guilty.
During the trial it was heard that Field subjected Farquhar to coercive control and carried out a sustained gaslighting plot aimed at making Farquhar question his sanity, according to Prosecutor Oliver Saxby QC.
Read more:
- The Sixth Commandment actor on playing killer Ben Field: "You have to suspend judgement"
- Sixth Commandment writer compares story to "Brothers Grimm fairy tale"
Field admitted to spiking Farquhar's drinks with alcohol and laced his food with drugs to "torment" him. This was discovered when police began investigating and exhumed Farquhar's body for testing.
Field had also undergone a "betrothal" ceremony with Farquhar. Farquhar, a devout baptist, had been equivocal over his sexuality due to his religion.
Farquhar, who taught part-time at the University of Buckingham, suffered night terrors and hallucinations which he recorded in a handwritten journal. As a published author, his third novel A Wide Wide Sea, released the year of his death in 2015, was dedicated to Field, who delivered the eulogy at his funeral.
On the night of the murder, Field suffocated Farquhar and left a half-empty bottle of whisky in Farquhar's room to make it look as though he had drunk himself to death.
While Field admitted to manipulating Farquhar and Moore-Martin into fake relationships with him as part of a plot to get them to change their wills, he denied any involvement in their deaths.
Field was jailed for life for Farquhar's murder.
The Sixth Commandment will continue airing on TV, though all episodes are currently available on BBC iPlayer.
The Sixth Commandment airs 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.
