Tony Martin case: Who is the farmer that shot Fred Barras and Brendon Fearon? When is The Interrogation of Tony Martin being aired

Twenty years ago, a burglar was shot dead during a raid on a farmhouse in a case which divided the nation.

Farmer Tony Martin was convicted of killing 16-year-old Fred Barras after he broke into his Norfolk home in August 1999.

Now, the case will be brought back to the public's attention in a new Channel 4 docu-drama set to air on Sunday, November 18, called The Interrogation of Tony Martin.

The League of Gentleman's Steve Pemberton, 51, will play Tony Martin while Line of Duty star Daniel Mays has been cast as policeman DC Peters.

Reportedly, the one-off drama has been based on 600-pages of transcripts of interviews Martin gave to police, with most of the action set to take place in the interrogation room.

What happened? Who is Tony Martin?

Martin was said to have lived an isolated and lonely existence at the Bleak House, Emneth Hungate, where he lived for 20 years in a life increasingly blighted by break-ins.

Three months before the shooting he had been burgled and had told neighbours he would "blow their heads off" if anybody tried it again.

He also said he told police he would shoot any burglar that come to his house again.

Career criminals Brendan Fearon, then 29, and Barras - both with long records for violence and theft - drove 70 miles in August 1999 from Newark, Nottinghamshire, specifically to burgle Martin's home.

The farmer had been lying fully clothed in his bedroom when he heard the sound of intruders. He reached for his 12-bore Winchester pump-action shotgun, which he held illegally after his licence was withdrawn by police following a previous shooting, and crept to the stairs.

At some stage, whether on the stairs or down on the ground floor, a torchlight was shone in his face and Martin opened fire, hitting Barras in the back and Fearon twice in the legs.

Barras and Fearon suffered leg injuries after Martin opened fire, but Barras was also hit in the back.

The teenager dragged himself out of the house and died in the grounds of the house at Emneth Hungate, Norfolk, where his body was discovered 15 hours later.

Martin, now 74, was found guilty of murdering Barras and sentenced to life in prison, while Fearon was later sentenced to three years for the burglary.

But Martin's conviction was later reduced to a five-year sentence for manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility, because he has Asperger Syndrome, and he was released in 2003 after serving three yeas of his sentence.

Why was the case so controversial?

Some argue that Martin was just protecting his Norwich home following a series of break-ins at the remote farmhouse.

Others say Barras was a just a child and that Martin used unnecessary and excessive force, with some speculating he wanted to kill and was waiting for his chance.

The case sparked national debate and people began to question how you would define "reasonable force" in English law, and how far homeowners were allowed to go to defend their home.

What has happened since?

Martin, who has previously endorsed the BNP, has not stayed in the house since, and it has reportedly been boarded up.

He previously said he "feels nothing" for Fred Barras's grief-stricken family, but said he was "devastated" when he found he had "killed a boy".

"It doesn't matter what you say, it changes nothing. No one has the right to take another human life. I don't even think we should kill animals," he said.

Fearon received around £5,000 in legal aid to sue Martin for loss of earnings in 2003 because of his injuries.

But the case was thrown into doubt after The Sun showed him cycling and climbing, which suggested his injuries were not as serious as he claimed.