Catching a killer (ch4)

[Pinkbonbon]

Anyone else watching this?!

Poor fella finally thought he had found love at 67 (kept a diary about how happy he was n everything) only to be poisoned by the bastard. Who then killed another person too.

Absolutely heart breaking.
Hope he never found out what was happening to him.

[InkyToesies]

I loved the way the custody sergeant said to Field as he was bailed, "see you later"!

[Inappropriatefemale]

He sure did, that’s the narcissistic psychopath in him!

What about when he got arrested and asked for books/puzzles as it ‘would be dull’?

[InkyToesies]

Thanks Inappropriatefemale. He really thought he was God's gift didn't he?

[Inappropriatefemale]

Yes @InkyToesies I think it was Fields voice at the start, he spoke about how if killing was okay for the ‘greater good’ and I would imagine that he was talking about himself killing for the greater good of money.

[InkyToesies]

Having briefly googled, I see that Liz Zettle gave evidence at the trial aged 101. She is (was?) the oldest person to have given evidence in a murder trial in the UK.

In the programme, she appeared to be mentally lively and as sharp as a tack. She was almost certainly on Field's to do list as police found a document in Field's possession purporting to be the beginnings of her will despite her denying having involved Field in her will in any way. I guess she gave evidence to that effect at the trial. Good for her!I

It doesn't bring Peter or Ann back, nor undo the untold other damage Field has done, but it's reassuring there are good, decent people around. I was also impressed by the positive and lasting impact Peter had had on so many of his former students. A real force for good and a testament to his memory.


Off topic: BTW I loved the wallpaper behind her during the interview in the programme!

[InkyToesies]

I only watched it yesterday and was chilled and disgusted by the calculating, systematic actions of Field and the way he tormented Peter and Ann (and also the person with dementia). Rotten through and through.

There was something rather satisfying however that both Peter's diaries and Field's scribbles / paraphernalia led to their respective fates, i.e. posthumous justice for Peter, and discovery / conviction for Field.

One of the things I wondered about though was the voiceover at the beginning of the programme. It sounded like an amateur recording of a sermon or talk on the 'thou shalt not kill' commandment, and an argument for it being transgressed / 'interpreted in a liberal fashion' while still being consistent with being Christian. Was this a recording of / by Field do you suppose?

Thanks for the heads-up upthread on the BBC podcast, and the links to the court and news reports. I shall listen to / read them.

Re the other man who was charged and acquitted: reading between the lines of the posts by the poster whose husband is a friend, it sounds like that man was also duped and manipulated by Field and was perhaps being set up to take the fall. If so, I'm very glad that the man was vindicated.

I keep thinking of things e.g. the psychological assessment of Field probably being a psychopath. But there were no apparent consequences. I wonder if Field knew of the assessment? It's horrifying to consider whether Peter and Ann were Field's only victims. I suspect not.

It was a very disturbing and thought-provoking programme. On another thread - an Ask Me Anything I think - I posted a query to someone who works in a secure psychiatric unit. I asked whether, given her professional experience, her spidey senses were set off by people she came across 'in real life' who were more than likely psychopaths. No response unfortunately. It does make you wonder about people....

It must be very hard to be a copper and not be a complete misanthrope.

[Inappropriatefemale]

He is such a sick creep.

[Heyjude20]

He also had pictures on his phone of the old lady doing sex acts..

[NewYoiker]

Christ listen to the podcast! Peter went into a nursing home to give Ben a 'break' and recovered! He rang a friend and said how fantastic it was he managed to recover so quickly in 2 weeks. Then 2 days later he died

[NewYoiker]

@Tutlefru I know he's so sick! Although I feel like it should be put forward more that he was not accepted into the vicar training because they didn't like his attitude

[Tutlefru]

Chilling documentary.

True psychopath.

[NewYoiker]

Just watched this it's horrific

[DuckWillow]

I think they had a non sexual relationship because of Peter's beliefs by all accounts. Apart from sharing a kiss now and then.

Ben was gaslighting him by taking his phone and then saying it was by the door. Peter would look and it wasn't there and then Ben would come home and put it back making Peter doubt his mind. Nasty piece of work, an utter psychopath.

[AlpineSnow]

Can't remember if it was in the programme but in the podcast they said Ben would take his wallet and Peter would phone him and say he couldn't find it. Ben would say "it's by the phone" then when he got home he'd plant it by the phone and say "Look i said it was by the phone!" He'd also do things like delete all his phone contacts to make him think he'd accidentally done it 😪

[AlpineSnow]

Late to this, but I watched it and the podcast and the video of drugged up Peter saying he was worried as he used to be competent was upsetting. The video of him taunting the person with alzheimers too. Just appalling and so sad that he hadn't felt able to have a gay relationship earlier. A pp said Ben must have had sex with him but they said he only had a sexual relationship with Anne Moore Martin.

[Inappropriatefemale]

I am so surprised at the amount of religious people that will forfeit their own happiness due to their beliefs, what a waste!

[RhubarbTea]

This documentary left me feeling really uneasy and it wasn't all about Field or his crimes. There was something about the manner of the police, especially the senior investigating officer, which left me feeling that there was so much they couldn't say, or show. I don't know why. I just felt the police were particularly troubled by the case, perhaps because of the way in which the first victim would never have been discovered as a murder if he hadn't slipped up later and got cocky?
I don't know, something about it doesn't sit right with me.

I feel very sorry for Peter. I wish I could have talked to him when he was alive and still a young man, and reassured him about his sexuality. In many ways this is a terrible case because of his own internalised homophobia which made him lonely, and in turn particularly vulnerable. I find that very sad.

[Wilma55]

There's a BBC podcast about this case called A Killer in the Congregation. This has more about his other victim Ann

[Inappropriatefemale]

Imagine Peter being single his whole life and then taking up with a student, and one who killed him!

Ben’s eyes looked quite chilling in one or 2 of the pictures that he had taken with Peter, it’s like he was scheming, which he probably was although I doubt he schemed from day dot, Field must’ve went as far as to have sex with Peter to convince him too, very strange and evil man, and the politeness in the Police Station was

[IrmaFayLear]

Peter did seem like a nice man. I suppose there's no fool like an old fool, and he did keep asking himself in his diaries why someone like Ben would like someone like him. He answered his own question. If something is too good to be true, then it usually is.

With the elderly lady down the road (and it seems the one in the care home) it was more of a case of preying on someone whose mind was beginning to fail and thus more easily conned. Fields played the long game with Peter, and I don't think Peter really had anyone close enough (we don't know how often he saw his brother) to tell him to beware.

[purpleme12]

Yes if you let them these things can certainly be worrying

[guiltynetter]

a bit late to this but I've just got around to watching it, I wish I hadn't, it has really upset me! the thought that people like Ben field really exist is terrifying. the video of him taunting somebody with dementia was like something out of a horror film. and poor Peter, he was clearly a hugely intelligent man and he knew something wasnt right with his health but he didn't ever suspect it could be Ben. I dont think I'll sleep tonight..

[Toddlerteaplease]

Just watching it now. Peter Farquhar sounded like a lovely man.

[DuckWillow]

One if the most chilling things for me in the documentary was of Ben Field taunting the elderly lady with dementia in a video. It upset me so much.

[ktpurplej]

I used to live in the village, some of my family still do. I only live a few miles away now. I'm also friends with the girlfriend they showed she is one of the nicest sweetest people I know, it was very hard to watch.