The Sixth Commandment reveals the shocking and brutal story of Ben Field

True crime. The cynical among us might say that it’s the gift that keeps on giving – there is, sadly, a seemingly never-ending stream of stories available to producers which are ripe for turning into a drama or documentary. Just when you think you’ve learned of the most terrifying or hideous case, another comes along to take its place.

While Netflix has all but cornered the market in such documentaries, regular linear TV has impressed viewers with its dramatic depictions of real-life incidents – the likes of The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe, Des, Steeltown Murders and Litvinenko are just a few to have graced our screens during the past year or so.

Now there’s another heading our way. The Sixth Commandment tells the chilling story of Ben Field who, in 2019, was convicted of killing former teacher Peter Farquhar four years earlier. Peter was a much-loved and admired figure who has been duped by Field, a much younger man and a warden at his local church in Stowe, Buckinghamshire. Field declared his love for Peter in the hope he would leave him his estate before subjecting him to months of mental torment and, eventually, murdering him.

However, it wasn’t until Field allegedly tried to do the same to Peter’s neighbour, the devoutly religious Ann Moore-Martin, that alarm bells began to ring. He was acquitted of her attempted murder, but it was Ann’s experiences that led the police to take a closer look at Peter’s death.

Now, with the blessing of both Peter and Ann’s families (she passed away in 2017), their stories are being told in a new four-part drama written by Sarah Phelps, who’s best known for adapting several Agatha Christie novels for the small screen. She also penned the true-life drama A Very British Scandal in 2021.

“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,” says Phelps of her latest project. “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.

“I’m so appreciative of the trust (the families) placed in me to tell the stories of their loved ones. I’m thrilled that we have such an astonishing cast and phenomenal team of creatives, led by our director Saul Dibb, to bring my scripts to life.”

Timothy Spall and Anne Reid play Peter and Ann respectively, with rising star Éanna Hardwicke as Field.

Although the crimes committed, and the way in which Field was able to manipulate such trusting and kind people, is shocking, the dedication of the police to find justice is at the heart of the drama. It also celebrates the lives of both Peter and Ann, who were much-loved figures within their close-knit community.

Executive producer Brian Woods states: “Drama has the ability to explore the emotional truth beneath the headlin