Buckinghamshire murder accused 'was betrothed to victim'

A church warden accused of murdering his former lecturer posed with him for a photograph after the pair were betrothed, a court has heard.

Ben Field, 28, and Martyn Smith, 32, are accused of planning the deaths of Peter Farquhar, 69, and Ann Moore-Martin, 83, in Buckinghamshire.

A jury at Oxford Crown Court was shown a photograph of Mr Field standing next to novelist Mr Farquhar.

The accused pair deny charges of murder and conspiracy to murder.

In the image shown to the jury, Mr Field, of Wellingborough Road, Olney, near Milton Keynes, can be seen standing next to Mr Farquhar after the betrothal, or engagement, service in 2014, in London.

Both are wearing crosses and the court heard they also exchanged knives.

The prosecution's case is that Mr Field, the son of a Baptist minister, murdered Mr Farquhar in 2015 and then tried to kill Mr Farquhar's elderly neighbour, Miss Moore-Martin in Maids Moreton, in order to benefit from their wills.

The court has heard Mr Field was allegedly helped by his friend, Mr Smith, of Penhalvean, Redruth, Cornwall, a magician, whom he met at the University of Buckingham.

It is alleged Mr Field planned the deaths of the elderly neighbours and made them think they were losing their minds.

The court was told Mr Farquhar's food was laced with drugs and Miss Moore-Martin, who died of natural causes in May 2017, thought she was receiving messages from God after she discovered writing on her mirrors at home.

Mr Field denies murder, conspiracy to murder, possessing an article for the use in fraud and an alternative charge of attempted murder. He has admitted four charges of fraud and two of burglary.

Mr Smith denies murder, conspiracy to murder, two charges of fraud and one of burglary.

Mr Field's brother Tom Field, 24, of Wellingborough Road, Olney, denies a single charge of fraud.

The trial continues.