Tony Martin, Who Shot Teen Intruder in 1999, Dies at 80
Tony Martin, convicted of manslaughter after shooting a teenage burglar in 1999, has passed away at the age of 80.
Tony Martin, the man who shot and killed 16-year-old Fred Barras during a burglary at his Norfolk farmhouse in 1999, has died at the age of 80. Martin, who had been convicted of murder and later had the charge reduced to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, passed away at Wisbech Hospital on Sunday, shortly before 3 p.m. GMT.
He had suffered a stroke a few months prior to his death.
The shooting occurred on 20 August 1999, when Martin, armed with a pump-action shotgun, confronted Barras and his accomplice, 29-year-old Brendan Fearon, who had entered his isolated farmhouse, Bleak House, in the middle of the night with the intent to rob it.
Barras was killed and Fearon was injured.
Martin was initially convicted of murder in 2000 but served only three years after his conviction was downgraded to manslaughter due to a diagnosis of paranoid personality disorder.
The case sparked widespread public debate over whether Martin had acted in self-defense or whether he had premeditated the shooting.
Some saw him as a defender of his property, while others viewed him as a vigilante.
Following his release in 2003, Martin faced a difficult post-prison life, struggling with depression and health issues.
A family friend, Malcolm Starr, who had known Martin before and after the incident, described Martin as honest and a man of strong convictions.
Despite his personal struggles, Starr noted that Martin never expressed regret over his actions, which he maintained were in self-defense.
Martin’s health had deteriorated significantly after his release, and the farmhouse he once lived in had fallen further into disrepair.
Martin’s case remains a divisive chapter in British legal history, with debates about the balance between self-defense and the use of excessive force in situations of perceived threat.
He had suffered a stroke a few months prior to his death.
The shooting occurred on 20 August 1999, when Martin, armed with a pump-action shotgun, confronted Barras and his accomplice, 29-year-old Brendan Fearon, who had entered his isolated farmhouse, Bleak House, in the middle of the night with the intent to rob it.
Barras was killed and Fearon was injured.
Martin was initially convicted of murder in 2000 but served only three years after his conviction was downgraded to manslaughter due to a diagnosis of paranoid personality disorder.
The case sparked widespread public debate over whether Martin had acted in self-defense or whether he had premeditated the shooting.
Some saw him as a defender of his property, while others viewed him as a vigilante.
Following his release in 2003, Martin faced a difficult post-prison life, struggling with depression and health issues.
A family friend, Malcolm Starr, who had known Martin before and after the incident, described Martin as honest and a man of strong convictions.
Despite his personal struggles, Starr noted that Martin never expressed regret over his actions, which he maintained were in self-defense.
Martin’s health had deteriorated significantly after his release, and the farmhouse he once lived in had fallen further into disrepair.
Martin’s case remains a divisive chapter in British legal history, with debates about the balance between self-defense and the use of excessive force in situations of perceived threat.
