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.