Church warden Ben Field’s ex-school friends tell how ‘arrogant’ teenager was secretive and asexual

Ben Field (in his school year book) was today convicted of murdering an elderly novelist  

A baptist minister’s son who murdered his semi-retired university lecturer lover to get his hands on his will was a ‘hyper-intelligent, asexual loner’, ex-pupils at his old school have revealed.

Former friends of ‘super-brainy’ Ben Field told MailOnline how the self-confessed sociopath was ‘aloof’ and ‘in love with his own intellect’.

Bespectacled Field, 28, was today convicted of murdering Peter Farquhar, 69, as part of an elaborate ‘gaslighting’ plot to seduce pensioners and inherit their wealth. 

The church warden showed no emotion in the dock as the jury found him guilty of the killing in the sleepy Buckinghamshire village of Maids Moreton.

Mr Farquhar had fallen deeply in love with Field after he ‘snaketalked’ his way into his life.  

His alleged accomplice Martyn Smith, a failed 32-year-old magician, was found not guilty of murder. 

Church warden Field, pictured as a fresh-faced sixth form pupil, was described by old school friends as an 'aloof loner obsessed with his own intellect' who was secretive and asexual

Church warden Field, pictured as a fresh-faced sixth form pupil, was described by old school friends as an ‘aloof loner obsessed with his own intellect’ who was secretive and asexual 

Those who knew Field during his schooldays, growing up in Buckinghamshire, painted him as a loner who felt so intellectually superior that he even mocked his own teachers during lessons 

Sharing pictures of him laughing and joking as a carefree teenager, a former friend told MailOnline: 'Ben looks popular in the pictures, but it was all an act. He was always a loner'

Sharing pictures of him laughing and joking as a carefree teenager, a former friend told MailOnline: ‘Ben looks popular in the pictures, but it was all an act. He was always a loner’

Both suspects were cleared of a charge of conspiring to murder Mr Farquhar’s neighbour, pensioner Ann Moore-Martin, 83. 

The seemingly-respectable churchman from Olney, Bucks, tried to convince jurors that he had been unnecessarily cruel to his victim – but stopped short of murder.

He admitted his personality was ‘fundamentally flawed’ and every relationship he’d ever had, even with his own family, had been based on lies and deceit.

Those who knew Field during his schooldays growing up painted him as a loner who felt so intellectually superior that he even mocked his own teachers during lessons.

Sharing pictures of him laughing and joking as a fresh-faced sixth former, a former friend told MailOnline: ‘Ben looks popular in the pictures, but it was all an act. He was always a loner. He had no close group of friends and was in no cliques. He had no particular friends at all, not even a best mate.

‘We knew his parents were involved with the church but other than that nobody ever saw his family at all. He has always been so private.

‘He was a really dark character. What you saw on the surface was completely different to who he really was. He studied Maths and politics and was really intelligent, wildly intelligent, to the point where it would come across as arrogant. 

The friend from his school days said of the clergyman's son: 'He had no close group of friends and was in no cliques. He had no particular friends at all, not even a best mate'

The friend from his school days said of the clergyman’s son: ‘He had no close group of friends and was in no cliques. He had no particular friends at all, not even a best mate’

Despite growing into a monster who targeted vulnerable victims, seducing and 'snaketalking' his way into their lives, ex-classmates say Field was asexual and had no romantic ties at school

Despite growing into a monster who targeted vulnerable victims, seducing and ‘snaketalking’ his way into their lives, ex-classmates say Field was asexual and had no romantic ties at school

‘He would be quite patronising to the teachers and they would berate him for his arrogance and thinking he knew better. 

‘I never knew him to have a girlfriend or to be interested in girls at all. He never seemed to have a crush on anyone and wasn’t romantically linked to anybody.

‘There was no sign that he was gay either, or attracted to older women and men, as became the case when he grew up. I would describe him as asexual.’

Field was found guilty of murdering Peter Farquhar to get his hands on his victim's will

Field was found guilty of murdering Peter Farquhar to get his hands on his victim’s will 

The photographs, which show Fields laughing with his arm around schoolmates and pitching for the position of head boy, demonstrated how ‘he could put up a really good front,’ another friend confirmed.

‘He was in love with his own intellect and locked up in his own brain,’ she said. ‘There was a sense that he was toying with you and it just meant that people kept their distance.’

During the trial, the jury heard that Field had a profound fascination with controlling, humiliating, manipulating and killing vulnerable people, and was deeply interested in suicide and euthanasia. 

He developed a sophisticated plot to seduce pensioners, persuade them to leave their homes to him in their wills, and kill them.    

He entered into a relationship Mr Farquhar, who he gave alcohol and benzodiazepines before suffocating him with a pillow.  

Before killing him, Field ‘gaslighted’ Mr Farquhar by moving things around his home in the middle of the night and wrote ‘messages from God’ on Ms Moore-Martin’s mirror. 

The sociopath (left) seduced elderly former novelist Mr Farquhar, 69, (right) after meeting him while studying English at Buckingham University where the novelist was working as a lecturer

The sociopath (left) seduced elderly former novelist Mr Farquhar, 69, (right) after meeting him while studying English at Buckingham University where the novelist was working as a lecturer

Field described his victim Mr Farquhar (above) as a closeted, Christian, homosexual, English teaching pedant with a problematic attraction to teens'

Field would drug Mr Farquhar, regularly slipping sedatives into his food making him appear drunk. He filmed him in bed under the influence of drugs (above)

Field manipulated Mr Farquhar, who he described as ‘a closeted, Christian, homosexual, English teaching pedant with a problematic attraction to teens’. He would drug the pensioner, regularly slipping hallucinogens and sedatives into his food making him appear drunk (right)

After Field murdered Mr Farquhar, he seduced retired school headmistress Ann Moore-Martin, 83, (pictured) despite being 57 years her junior. He was cleared of conspiracy to murder her

After Field murdered Mr Farquhar, he seduced retired school headmistress Ann Moore-Martin, 83, (pictured) despite being 57 years her junior. He was cleared of conspiracy to murder her 

Field met Mr Farquhar as he studied English at Buckingham University where the novelist was working as a part-time lecturer. 

A short time later, Field began lodging at the home of Mr Farquhar, a retired head of English at prestigious Stowe School.

The semi-retired academic was a well-respected local figure at the time, with a vibrant social life connected to Stowe School, where he worked for many years.

But he was also ’emotionally repressed’ and ‘torn’ about his sexuality, having never married or had children and struggling with his homosexual urges and Christian beliefs.

Recognising a vulnerable target, Field decided to manipulate Mr Farquhar, enlisting the help of Smith.

Field's photo formed the centrepiece of a shrine Ms Moore-Martin set up in her home

Field’s photo formed the centrepiece of a shrine Ms Moore-Martin set up in her home

In an email, Field described Mr Farquhar as ‘a closeted, Christian, homosexual, English teaching pedant with a seriously problematic attraction to teens’.

He admitted ‘seeking to exploit both Peter’s vanity and his desire for companionship’, adding ‘this is needlessly cruel, of course.’

He also boasted about how he ‘snake talked his way into an old man’s house like a sociopath’ before submitting Mr Farquhar to a calculated campaign of ‘gaslighting’. 

Evidence was taken from Field’s journal, which recorded how he pretended to be in love with Mr Farquhar before drugging him regularly.

Field slipped hallucinogens and sedatives into Mr Farquar’s food and drinks, making it appear as if he was descending into ‘crippling’ alcoholism.

Friends soon noticed his decline from a respectable, self-possessed academic to a ‘dribbling shambles of his former self’, the jury heard.

Besotted Mr Farquhar, who by now was suffering under the regular influence of drugs, was persuaded to alter his will, leaving his home to Field rather than his own brother Ian. 

As he continued to degenerate, Mr Farquhar was taken into a care home, where he began to recover. Shortly after returning home, however, he was found dead by his cleaner in October 2016.

A coroner initially concluded that he had died of alcohol-related causes and Field was granted his inheritance, a stake in Mr Farquhar’s house and £20,000 in cash.

Field ‘gaslighted’ his elderly victim, convincing him he was going mad by moving things around his home. Field wrote messages ‘from God’ in a mirror belonging to Ms Moore-Martin

Soon after Mr Farquhar (left) met Field (right) friends noticed his decline from a respectable, self-possessed academic to a 'dribbling shambles of his former self'. The besotted academic was persuaded to alter his will, leaving his home to Field rather than his own brother, Ian

Soon after Mr Farquhar (left) met Field (right) friends noticed his decline from a respectable, self-possessed academic to a ‘dribbling shambles of his former self’. The besotted academic was persuaded to alter his will, leaving his home to Field rather than his own brother, Ian 

Field seduced Ms Moore Martin (pictured together), who had no children and was lonely. He plotted to kill her with a 'sex machine', which was intended to give her a heart attack, and took a picture of her performing a lewd act on him without her knowledge, the court heard

Field seduced Ms Moore Martin (pictured together), who had no children and was lonely. He plotted to kill her with a ‘sex machine’, which was intended to give her a heart attack, and took a picture of her performing a lewd act on him without her knowledge, the court heard

After Mr Farquhar’s murder Field seduced Ms Moore-Martin, 57 years his senior.

He wrote on her mirror that it was ‘the will of the Lord’ that she leave her estate to him.

He considered plans to kill her with a ‘sex machine’, which was intended to cause her to have a heart attack, and took a picture of her performing a lewd act on him without her knowledge, the court heard.     

She signed her estate over to Field but changed her mind before she died in 2017. 

By the time of his arrest Field had drawn up a list of 100 future targets for fraud including his own parents and grandparents.

After a ten-week trial, a jury at Oxford Crown Court took 14 days of deliberation before finding Field guilty of murder.

He has already admitted four charges of fraud and two of burglary.

Senior investigating officer Mark Glover, a retired detective chief inspector, said Field fitted the profile of a psychopath.

‘Cruel, calculating, manipulative, deceitful. I don’t think evil is too strong a word for him,’ he said.

Mr Glover said Field had taken pleasure in tormenting his victim and torturing him physically and mentally, adding: ‘Everything is about Ben Field and Ben Field’s gain.’

Chris Derrick, head of complex casework unit at CPS Thames-Chiltern, added: ‘I think torture is a word that can be used to described Benjamin Fields’ behaviour.’

He added: ‘He is clearly a very calculating and ruthless man who spent a great deal of time planning what he was going to do.’

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