Maids Moreton: Murder accused 'drew up list of targets'

A church warden accused of murder told a court he drew up a list of 100 future "targets", including his own parents.

Benjamin Field, the warden, and Martyn Smith both deny murder, conspiracy to murder and fraud in relation to the deaths of two Maids Moreton pensioners.

Mr Field has admitted fraudulently being in relationships with Peter Farquhar and Ann Moore-Martin to benefit financially from their wills.

But he denies murdering Mr Farquhar and planning to kill Miss Moore-Martin.

Prosecutors allege Mr Field targeted 83-year-old Ms Moore-Martin a few months after allegedly murdering 69-year-old Mr Farquhar, who he had became betrothed to in a plot to benefit from his will.

Oxford Crown Court heard how Mr Field's list of 100 future "targets" included his own parents and grandparents.

The 28-year-old said the people on the list were "people who maybe useful to me, either as targets of fraud or in other ways".

His brother Tom Field, who denies fraud, was also on the list.

A 101-year-old widow also featured on the list. Mr Field said this was because she was his co-defendant's landlady.

"She was a useful person for keeping Martyn Smith in Buckingham and within my sphere of influence," he told the jury.

"I was keeping secrets from him and lying to him and getting him to do errands for me," he said.

Mr Field, of Wellingborough Road, Olney, Buckinghamshire has admitted four charges of fraud and two of burglary.

His brother Tom Field, 24, of Wellingborough Road, Olney, Buckinghamshire, denies a single charge of fraud.

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

The trial continues.