On August 20, 1999, at his farmhouse Bleak House in Norfolk, England, Tony Martin shot two burglars. One died at the scene.
Tony Martin lived alone in his farmhouse in Norfolk, now worth around £3 million. He inherited the home ‘Bleak House’ from his aunt. Martin claimed that he had been burgled multiple times since living in the house, losing around £6000 worth of property.
On the night of August 20, 1999, 16-year-old Fred Barras and 29-year-old Brendon Fearon broke into Tony Martin’s house. Martin armed himself with a shotgun that he “found” and shot three times. Both Barras and Fearon were hit in the legs, but Barras was also hit in the back. He died at the scene.
Martin was charged with murder, attempted murder and possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.
At his trial Tony Martin was accused by the prosecution of lying in wait and opening fire without warning. At the time of the offence, Martin did not have a valid firearms certificate, having previously lost it after shooting the car of a man who was picking apples in his field.
The jury convicted Tony Martin of murder by a 10 to 2 majority. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of eight years.
In October 2001, Martin’s lawyers appealed the conviction, stating he had been diagnosed with Paranoid Personality Disorder which resulted in diminished responsibility. This was accepted by judges who reduced his charges to manslaughter and his sentence to five years.
After serving three years, Tony Martin was released.
After the break-in, Brendon Fearon, 29, and getaway driver Darren Bark, 33, admitted to conspiring to burgle Martin’s farmhouse. They were sentenced to 36 months and 30 months in prison, respectively.
Tony Martin still owns Bleak House, but apparently has not stepped foot inside the farmhouse since the night of August 20, 1999. He has said this is because he fears he will “react violently if burgled again.”
When asked about Barras’ death, Tony Martin said “what goes around, comes around.”
The case divided the public, with some believing he had every right to defend himself and his home, while others felt Martin had used unnecessary force by shooting Barras multiple times.
In 2024, Tony Martin spoke of visiting Barras’ grave claiming he felt “absolutely no remorse”.
Sources:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-49355814
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/29793586/tony-martin-grave-fred-barras-farmhouse
