BBC crime drama to be screened about shocking murder committed by Milton Keynes man

The true life story is being written by Sarah Phelps, who penned The Dublin Murders and also And Then There Were None.

It will tell the story of how 28-year-old Olney man Benjamin Field murdered retired teacher Peter Farquhar after duping him into a fake relationship to persuade him to change his will.

Field was last year jailed for the murder of 69-year-old Mr Farquhar but cleared of killing his elderly female neighbour.Ann Moore-Martin, who was 83.

Mr Farquhar died at his Maids Moreton home in October 2015, while Ann Moore-Martin, 83, who lived three doors away, died in May 2017. After her death, police launched a massive investigation into Field, who was a churchwarden and the son of the former Olney Baptist Minister.

Field subsequently admitted duping both Mr Farquhar and Miss Moore-Martin into fake relationships with him as part of a plot to get them to change their wills, but he denied any involvement in their deaths.

During his trial at Oxford Crown Court, the jury heard Field had undergone a "betrothal" ceremony with Mr Farquhar and was in a sexual relationship with Miss Moore-Martin.

He carried out a prolonged 'gaslighting' plot on Mr Farquhar , spiking his drinks with bioethanol and lacing his food with drugs. As a result, the scholarly pensioner began to question his sanity.

Field was jailed to 36 years for murder but, earlier this year, lodged an appeal against his conviction. This has now been granted, although a date for it to be heard has not yet been set.

Sarah Phelps said: "This is such a shocking and brutal case - how a murderer hid his manipulation and malevolence in plain sight of a small community, how he insinuated his way into the lives of his victims.

“It’s a heartbreaking story of such desperate longing and loneliness but even within the darkness, there is the most astonishing blazing love and courage.”

She said she was "honoured" to have been trusted with the memories and experiences of Peter and Ann's families.

Executive producer Brian Woods said: "The families of both Peter and Ann agreed to support this powerful story being serialised."

The cast and filming date have not yet been announced, but he said hoped the mini-series would "raise awareness of how vulnerable those living alone can sometimes become".