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| Maids Moreton: Murder accused left messages 'from God' on mirror | Maids Moreton: Murder accused left messages 'from God' on mirror |
| (about 20 hours later) | |
| A pensioner believed messages written on mirrors telling her to change her will and leave her home to her young lover came from God, a court heard. | A pensioner believed messages written on mirrors telling her to change her will and leave her home to her young lover came from God, a court heard. |
| Benjamin Field, 28, left Biblical messages for 83-year-old Ann Moore-Martin at her Buckinghamshire home. | Benjamin Field, 28, left Biblical messages for 83-year-old Ann Moore-Martin at her Buckinghamshire home. |
| Mr Field is accused with his friend Martyn Smith, 32, of murdering Ms Moore-Martin's neighbour and of planning to kill her. | Mr Field is accused with his friend Martyn Smith, 32, of murdering Ms Moore-Martin's neighbour and of planning to kill her. |
| Both he and magician Mr Smith deny the charges at Oxford Crown Court. | Both he and magician Mr Smith deny the charges at Oxford Crown Court. |
| Mr Field, a Baptist minister's son, sent letters and postcards to the retired headmistress as part of a year-long seduction. | Mr Field, a Baptist minister's son, sent letters and postcards to the retired headmistress as part of a year-long seduction. |
| The church warden also wrote messages urging her to give him £27,000 towards the cost of a dialysis machine for his seriously ill brother, Tom, 24. | |
| Miss Moore-Martin, a deeply religious retired teacher who never married or had children, later changed her will to leave her Maids Moreton home to Mr Field. | Miss Moore-Martin, a deeply religious retired teacher who never married or had children, later changed her will to leave her Maids Moreton home to Mr Field. |
| But according to the court she changed her mind and accused Field of poisoning her shortly before she died in May 2017. | But according to the court she changed her mind and accused Field of poisoning her shortly before she died in May 2017. |
| 'He will return' | 'He will return' |
| The jury was told Field had taken photographs of the messages which were later recovered from his phone. | The jury was told Field had taken photographs of the messages which were later recovered from his phone. |
| One message, illustrated with a cross, said: "All that you give him, He will return, Ten fold." | One message, illustrated with a cross, said: "All that you give him, He will return, Ten fold." |
| Mr Field had been introduced to her by her neighbour, university lecturer Peter Farquhar, 69, who Ben Field was living with and planned to marry. | Mr Field had been introduced to her by her neighbour, university lecturer Peter Farquhar, 69, who Ben Field was living with and planned to marry. |
| Prosecutors said Mr Field targeted Miss Moore-Martin a few months after allegedly murdering Mr Farquhar. | Prosecutors said Mr Field targeted Miss Moore-Martin a few months after allegedly murdering Mr Farquhar. |
| Ben Field and Mr Smith deny murder, conspiracy to murder and possession of an article for use in fraud. | |
| Mr Field, of Wellingborough Road, Olney, Buckinghamshire, also denies an alternative charge of attempted murder. | |
| He has admitted four charges of fraud and two of burglary. | |
| Mr Smith, of Penhalvean, Redruth, Cornwall, also denies two charges of fraud and one of burglary. | Mr Smith, of Penhalvean, Redruth, Cornwall, also denies two charges of fraud and one of burglary. |
| Tom Field, also of Wellingborough Road, Olney, denies a single charge of fraud. | |
| The trial continues. | The trial continues. |