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Tony Martin
Tony Martin’s shooting of the teenager provoked a national debate about owner’s rights to defend their property. Photograph: Andrew Parsons/PA
Tony Martin’s shooting of the teenager provoked a national debate about owner’s rights to defend their property. Photograph: Andrew Parsons/PA

Tony Martin released over alleged possession of illegal firearm

This article is more than 8 years old

Norfolk farmer who served jail term for killing teenage burglar in 1999 freed on bail after he was arrested during search of home this week

Tony Martin, the Norfolk farmer who served a jail sentence for shooting dead a teenage burglar, has been released after his arrest this week for alleged possession of an illegal firearm.

Martin, 71, served three years in prison for killing Fred Barras, 16, at his home in Emneth Hungate, Norfolk, in 1999. He was initially found guilty of murder but this was reduced to manslaughter on appeal.

He was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of possessing an illegal firearm during a police search of his home, but was released “pending further inquiries”.

A Norfolk police spokesman said on Thursday night: “Officers have this evening finished their search of the address and the man, who was arrested on suspicion of possession of an illegal firearm, has been released on police bail until late February 2016.”

Martin was living alone at his farmhouse, nicknamed Bleak House, when he caught Barras and Brendon Fearon, then 29, inside. He fired his shotgun three times towards the intruders, killing Barras.

The case provoked a national debate about the measures homeowners can take to defend their property.

Since being released from prison, Martin is understood to have spent some of his time living on the grounds of the farmhouse.

In 2013 he told the Press Association he had confronted another would-be burglar at the property. He said he caught the man while checking an outbuilding. The intruder drove off when confronted and Martin decided not to try to stop him, saying: “I couldn’t face going through all that again.”

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