← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · Avalanche
Thread ID: 4611 | Posts: 3 | Started: 2003-01-25
2003-01-25 14:22 | User Profile
Tony Martin, the British farmer convicted of murder for killing a burglar who had broken into his home, was denied parole, for the second time, on January 16. And while the Parole Board gave no reason for turning him down, a British online news outlet, telegraph.co.uk, reported a friend of Martin's alleged it was because a probation report labeled the farmer "a danger to burglars." Others suggest his parole was denied because Martin will not express remorse for his actions.
Martin gained international attention when he was convicted of murder after shooting two burglars who had broken into his home in August 1999, one of whom died. The farmer's isolated home in Norfolk, England, had been burglarized numerous times prior to the shooting. Although the general outcry of opposition to the treatment of Tony Martin throughout his ordeal has been heard around the world, the British courts have offered little relief. First, Martin's appeal of his conviction on grounds of self-defense was denied, and then his request to have his case presented before the House of Lords was rejected. Even new forensic evidence that supported Martin's testimony wasn't enough to warrant an acquittal, although his conviction was reduced to manslaughter, and his sentence reduced to five years. The Norfolk farmer should qualify for release in July, after having served two-thirds of his sentence.
The experience of Tony Martin is just one sign that things have gone horribly awry in England. Ever since the government began imposing draconian restrictions on the ownership of firearms, including a complete prohibition on owning firearms for personal protection, violent crime-especially firearm-related violent crime-has been increasing at an alarming rate. Now another British paper, The Express, reports that burglars will not face any jail time for first or second convictions, and the police have determined they will not automatically investigate reports of burglaries. This would seem to be a recipe for an explosion in home break-ins. If criminals can be secure knowing they won't face an armed homeowner, don't face the threat of any real punishment until after they are caught invading people's homes a couple times, and the likelihood of them being caught at all is diminished because the police won't automatically investigate every case, what is the real deterrent to breaking into someone's home? Considering most homeowners have already been disarmed, then it sounds like the Golden Age of Burglars is about to begin in England.
NRA-ILA GRASSROOTS ALERT
2003-01-26 12:43 | User Profile
Now Martin is going to be moved abroad, so that relatives of the the gypsy burglers he was protecting himself against can't get to him. A guess that's a kind of police protection.:(
Martin to be moved abroad for his own protection By Daniel Foggo (Filed: 26/01/2003)
[url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/01/26/nmart26.xml&sSheet=/news/2003/01/26/ixhome.html]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml.../26/ixhome.html[/url]
Tony Martin, the farmer jailed for killing a burglar, will be sent abroad with a new identity when he is released to protect him from reprisal attacks, The Telegraph can reveal.
The decision follows death threats by associates of Fred Barras, the 16-year-old gypsy boy who was shot dead as he broke into Martin's home.
Officers from Scotland Yard's witness protection scheme have decided that the danger faced by Martin upon his release is likely to be so severe that it will not be safe for him to live in Britain.
They have visited Martin several times in the last two months to outline the plan to move him abroad and have discussed possible destinations. One favoured option is Australia.
The cost of giving Martin a new identity, and the accompanying protection, is unknown, although some officials indicate that it could reach as much as ã500,000, which would be paid by the taxpayer.
The plan remains highly confidential, but an official from the Prison Service said last night: "The proposition is to take Martin out of the country with a new name and identity."
Martin, 58, was initially convicted of murder, but had his sentence reduced to manslaughter on appeal. His application for early parole was turned down this month but he is due to be released within the next six months.
Outside Scotland Yard, only the Probation Service and Norfolk Police are involved in the plan. Martin is understood to want to return to Bleak House, the farmhouse he owns near the Norfolk village of Emneth Hungate.
He shot Barras and Brendon Fearon, the teenager's accomplice, while they attempted to burgle his farmhouse in August 1999.
Malcolm Starr, who holds power of attorney for Martin, refused to comment on the new identity plan.
2003-01-27 06:38 | User Profile
Originally posted by Leveller@Jan 26 2003, 12:43 **Now Martin is going to be moved abroad, so that relatives of the the gypsy burglers he was protecting himself against can't get to him. A guess that's a kind of police protection.:(
Martin to be moved abroad for his own protection By Daniel Foggo (Filed: 26/01/2003)
**
There are all sorts of possible interpretations of what's going on here. It sounds to me like the gov't is simply trying to muzzle Martin and keep him from become the cause celebre he certainly is becoming.
It certainly doesn't inspire much confidence in the gov't, in any sense of the word if it can't protect its citizens anywhere within its borders, even if it really just won't do so.
If it can't handle a couple of gypsy burglars, how does it handle the real criminal threats? Foreign spying, organized crime, gang violence?