A drama set to air this weekend hopes to show the public more of the truth behind a controversial burglary turned murder which divided the nation almost 20 years ago.
‘The Interrogation’ tells the story of what happened the night Norfolk farmer Tony Martin confronted two burglars who broke into his farmhouse in 1999.
Two men – 29-year-old Brendon Fearon and 16-year-old Fred Barras – had forced their way into Martin’s home one night with the intention to steal from him.
Martin, who had been plagued by burglaries and had lost faith in the police, blasted his shotgun as the thieves attempted to flee through a window.
But when teenager Barras was found dead the following day, Martin’s actions divided public opinion between those who believed his action was disproportionate and those who believed he had the right to defend himself.
Burglar Brendon Fearon and getaway driver Darren Bark (33) were sentenced to three years and 30 months in jail respectively.
Martin was sentenced to life imprisonment, however, in 2001, his sentence was cut to five years on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
Now 73, speaking to press this week he said he wanted to clear his name.
Image source: Channel 4
The drama, starring Steve Pemberton (Inside No.9) as Martin, with Daniel Mays (Line of Duty) and Stuart Graham (Hunger) as detectives, focuses on the intense three days when Martin was interviewed by police for murder.
Every word spoken in the script is sourced from original documents, such as police interviews and statements.
The ‘verbatim dramatisation’ hopes to uncover the missing parts of the story that split the country and generated hundreds of newspaper headlines.
‘The Interrogation of Tony Martin’ will be shown on Channel 4 on Sunday, November 18 at 9:00pm.
