Church warden murder conviction quashed

Church warden murder conviction quashedJust nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleThames Valley PoliceBenjamin Field was jailed in 2019 for murdering Peter FarquharA former church warden jailed for murdering a university lecturer has had his conviction quashed by the Court of Appeal.Benjamin Field, 34, was sentenced to a minimum of 36 years in prison for the murder of Peter Farquhar, 69, in Maids Moreton, Buckinghamshire, in 2015.His conviction had been referred by the Criminal Cases Review Commission under the exceptional circumstances provision, which allows a new appeal even if there is no new evidence. In a ruling on Thursday, three senior judges quashed the conviction and ordered a retrial.Lord Justice Edis, sitting with Mr Justice Goose and Mr Justice Butcher, also said they would allow the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to take the "unusual case" to the Supreme Court before any retrial takes place.Field's lawyers told the Court of Appeal in March that there was "no evidence" that Mr Farquhar was "forced or deceived" into taking the whisky or medication.Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.Related internet linksHM Courts & Tribunals ServiceCourt of AppealMaids Moreton