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Martin is refused parole as 'danger to burglars'
By David Sapsted
January 17, 2003

Tony Martin, the farmer jailed for shooting dead a teenage burglar, had his
application for parole rejected yesterday. The three members of the Parole
Board, who met in London to review his case, gave no reason for turning him
down. A friend of Martin's claimed that it was because a probation report
branded the 58-year-old "a danger to burglars".

Others suggested that a primary reason was Martin's refusal to express
remorse for shooting 16-year-old Fred Barras when he and another burglar
raided his remote Norfolk house at night in August, 1999.

Martin, who will automatically qualify for release on licence in July after
serving two-thirds of his five-year sentence for manslaughter, was said to
have been resigned to the decision. Malcom Starr, a friend and leading
supporter who visited Martin in Highpoint Prison, Suffolk, called the
decision "an absolute disgrace".

He said: "These people on the Parole Board are completely out of touch with
public opinion. "All right-thinking people agree that Mr Martin should be
released immediately."

Mr Starr, a Cambridgeshire businessman, said Martin told him a Probation
Service report to the board criticised the farmer for "not being up to speed
with the 21st century and of thinking things were better 40 years ago".

Mr Starr added: "A lot of prisoners lie and say they are sorry about
something when they are not. He was not prepared to lie. It is not a
question of 'does he feel sorry'. He feels he should never have been
intruded on and he acted in self defence."

Richard Portham, another friend, said: "He told me that the Norfolk
probation service was recommending that he should not get parole because
they considered him a danger to burglars.

"I suppose the attitude came across in this report that he would do it
again."

The shotgun Martin used on Barras, from Newark, Nottinghamshire, was
illegally held. He had lost his licence after an incident when he fired on a
car trespassing on his farm.
=================
Feb 2003

A thief shot by the farmer Tony Martin during an attempted burglary was
jailed for 18 months on drugs charges yesterday. Brendon Fearon, 32, tried
to burgle Martin's Norfolk farmhouse in 1999, was convicted at Nottingham
Crown Court of supplying heroin.


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May 6, 2003

British Government Says Burglars Need Protection

Government lawyers trying to keep the Norfolk farmer Tony Martin behind
bars will tell a High Court judge that burglars are members of the public
who must be protected from violent householders. The case could help
hundreds of criminals bring claims for damages for injury suffered while
committing offences. In legal papers seen by The Independent, Home Office
lawyers dispute Martin's contention that he poses no risk to the public,
because he only represents a threat to burglars and other criminals who
trespass on his property.
============
May 8

Home Office Suppressed Tony Martin Report

The British Home Office suppressed a report that showed the jailed farmer
Tony Martin was suitable for early release, a High Court judge was told May
6.

==========
June 16, 2003

Tony Martin To Be Sued By Burglar He Shot

The burglar Brendon Fearon, who was shot and injured by Tony Martin, won
the right yesterday to sue the jailed farmer for damages. A judge at
Nottingham County Court overturned an earlier decision that had thrown out
his claim.