Tony Martin - a farmer who shot dead a teenage burglar at his home - has died, a family friend has said. Mr Martin sparked a national debate after he shot and killed year-old Fred Barras on his remote Norfolk farm in The farmer, who slept with a shotgun under his bed after his home was targeted in a string of burglaries, was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison after the jury rejected his claim of self-defence. Mr Martin was released from prison in after his murder conviction was downgraded to manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility.
While many argued that he had the right to defend his home, others branded him a dangerous vigilante. When the farmer heard Barras and Fearon on the evening of August 20, he opened fire with a pump-action shotgun.
In , Mr Martin said he had no regrets about shooting the teenager dead when he gave his first broadcast interview about the case. In , he told The Mirror that he still hoped to clear his name, but once again insisted he did not feel remorse over the killing.
Though he still owned the farm, he did not step foot in the farmhouse after the shooting and instead chose to live with friends because he feared he would react violently should he be burgled again.
I had the radio on. It was a terrifying experience. You go home one night and someone breaks into your house and you get the police jumping on [your] back. Hide under the bed clothes? Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in. Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.
