A look back at the life of notorious Norfolk farmer Tony Martin, who shot and killed 16-year-old burglar in 1999

Farmer Tony Martin died at the age of 80, following a life filled with spectacular judicial actions, contentious discussions, and outlandish notions.

 

In 1999, the farmer served three years in prison for shooting and killing 16-year-old burglar Fred Barras at his Emneth Hungate property.
He was first convicted of murder, but this was reduced to manslaughter on appeal and following great public outrage.
The case sparked a national debate over the steps homeowners can take to protect their property.

We travel back into the Lynn News archives to revisit some of Martin’s most significant moments.

August 1999.

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Martin was living alone in his farmhouse, Bleak House, when he discovered Brendan Fearon, 29, and Barras, 16, inside.

He claimed that prior to this, he had been burgled several times and had hundreds of pounds in stolen things.

He fired his shotgun three times at the invaders, killing Barras, who had a history of criminal activity. Fearon was severely injured.

After being indicted and facing a trial, a jury found Martin guilty of murder and sentenced him to life in prison.

2001-2003

Following an appeal, Martin’s murder conviction is lowered to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished culpability due to a succession of mental health concerns.

In 2011, former court reporter Maureen Huggins spoke to the Lynn News about Martin’s trial. Despite several parole applications being denied, he was released three years into a five-year sentence for good behavior. Fearon attempted to sue Martin for loss of earnings due to his injuries sustained in the shooting, but the claim was later dropped.

“Everyone believed he would be found not guilty of murder. “I got the shock of my life when he was found guilty,” she said.
She continued, “The most extraordinary day was one when he was on bail and meant to be hiding in a safe house.

“I was in court when my colleague rushed in and announced, ‘Tony Martin’s outside.'” And there he was, sporting his usual floppy farmer’s hat, walking around the court. I could not believe it.

“He was not meant to be seen in public until the case began, especially in court. It turned out that he believed his safe house had been found and had come to court to be asked to be locked up for his own safety!”

MAY 2013

Martin was voluntarily admitted to the hospital as a “precaution” after confronting an intruder on his home.

Fourteen years after the 1999 killing, Martin found another person attempting to steal car batteries from one of his outbuildings. He chose not to pursue because he had “lost faith” in the legal system. However, days later, he walked into Wisbech’s police station after telling friends he was “worried about what he might do.” He was believed to have undergone a mental health assessment at Lynn’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

“One person would be afraid of being burgled, but he is completely petrified. He’s infatuated with it. He is acutely aware of it happening again.

January-February 2016

Martin was detained on New Year’s Eve and later released on bail for allegedly possessing an illegal handgun.

Officers had spent much of the day examining his property in what they described as a “planned operation.”

However, by late February, their research revealed that the firearm confiscated during the raid was not operational at the time.

It was initially assumed to be an air weapon, but it was in such bad shape that the charges against Martin could be withdrawn.

Martin also spoke out about illegal firearms in the UK shortly after a shooting in an Essex care facility.

November 2018

The infamous 1999 case was reproduced for television, with ‘The Interrogation of Tony Martin’ broadcast on Channel 4 and starring Steve Pemberton in the lead role.

It was seen by millions of people around the country.

Story Films’ hour-long play was based entirely on police interviews and witness accounts.

Martin even appeared in the final five minutes of the show, which was taped in his former home from that summer, which he claimed he hadn’t been inside since the incident.

September, 2019

One year later, a far-fetched discussion on Martin’s infamous case promised to be “explosive” and compel those attending to question what authorities had said at the time.

Campaigner Brian Pead was scheduled to present the discussion, headlined ‘Tony Martin: Target of Police Conspiracy’.

Chris Schooling, a fellow campaigner, stated: “Everyone we’ve spoken to and presented the information we’ve discovered demonstrating how fraudulent the case against Tony Martin was has been astonished.

“We have unearthed so much new evidence and have gone through hundreds of documents and found so many things that don’t add up including evidence that shows Tony Martin could not have shot Fred Barras and Brendon Fearon that night.”

Mr Schooling stated that the goal was to gain enough public support to force a re-opening of the case and overturn Martin’s manslaughter conviction.

However, there has never been any plausible evidence that Martin did not carry out the shooting.

January 2020.

Just months before the first Covid lockdown, Mr Pead took his campaign to reverse Martin’s guilty verdict on the road with the release of a new book.

The book shared the same title as the 2019 presentation.

He said it featured new and persuasive evidence gleaned from more than six years of research into the famous murder trial.

The 800-page book cost £20 to buy.

February 2025

Martin died on Sunday at the QEH after suffering a stroke in December.

Looking back on his life, his buddy Mr Starr told the PA news agency, “I believe his honesty landed him in prison because he couldn’t lie.

“I don’t think you can predict how you’d act if someone came into your property.”