Tony Martin, Farmer Convicted of Killing Burglar, Dies at 80

Martin's 1999 shooting of a teenage intruder at his Norfolk farmhouse ignited a national debate on self-defense and property rights in the UK.

Tony Martin, 80, died of a stroke over 25 years after fatally shooting 16-year-old Fred Barras during a burglary at his Norfolk farmhouse in 1999.
Initially convicted of murder, Martin's sentence was later reduced to manslaughter on appeal due to diminished responsibility linked to a paranoid personality disorder diagnosis.
The case highlighted tensions between public opinion on homeowners' rights and the UK legal system's stance on reasonable force in self-defense.
Martin, described as eccentric and reclusive, lived a troubled life marked by mental health struggles and a growing obsession with security at his remote property.
The shooting and subsequent trial remain a pivotal moment in UK criminal justice history, influencing debates on rural crime and self-defense laws.