Farmer Tony Martin, who shot and killed teenage burglar, dies aged 80

Farmer Tony Martin, who was jailed for shooting dead a teenage burglar, has died at the age of 80, it has been confirmed.

Martin was jailed in 2000 for the controversial killing of 16-year-old Fred Barras and wounding of 29-year-old Brendan Fearon. The pair had entered his home in an isolated part of Emneth Hungate in Norfolk, on the night of August 20, 1999, with the intention of raiding the property - which Martin used to store antiques - but were gunned down by the then 55-year-old, the Mirror reports.

He shot the intruders in the back with a pump-action shotgun as they climbed out of a window. Teenage Fred's body was found in undergrowth surrounding the property the following day, while Mr Fearon was able to crawl to a nearby house and call for help. During a following trial at Norwich Crown Court, prosecutors successfully argued Martin had used "excessive force" during the encounter.

He was found guilty of murder in April 2000 by jurors at Norwich Crown Court and jailed for life, with 10 years to run concurrently for a wounding offence and a further 12 months for possession of an illegal firearm. But the sentence was later reduced to manslaughter following an appeal in 2001.

He returned to his Norfolk farm two years later, but, while his imprisonment was brief, his acts encouraged an enduring debate about what constitutes appropriate force when responding to home intruders. Martin had always insisted the intruders got what they deserved, telling the BBC in 2019 that he did not "have to excuse myself for anything".

Nearly 20 years after his conviction, he insisted he should have been treated as the victim rather than criminal, adding: "I've always said when people get into exceptional circumstances which are beyond