No regrets insists Martin

Tony Martin says he feels sorry for the dead teenager's mother

Farmer Tony Martin says he does not regret firing the gun which killed a 16-year-old burglar but sympathises with the dead teenager's mother.

Martin was released on Monday after serving two-thirds of his five-year jail sentence for killing Fred Barras and seriously wounding the teenager's accomplice, Brendon Fearon, at his Norfolk farm.

Martin, 58, told ITV1's Tonight with Trevor McDonald he had no plans to campaign for law changes.

And he insisted the reason he fired the illegally-held pump-action shotgun more than once was down to adrenaline.

Martin also denied he was mentally ill, saying his friends regarded him as eccentric and "damn good fun".

I regret what's happened but I don't regret firing the gun, no Tony Martin

Fearon, now 33, and Barras were shot when they entered Martin's isolated farmhouse at Emneth Hungate in August, 1999.

The teenager died after being shot twice.

Martin was originally convicted of murder in April 2000 but that was reduced to manslaughter after an appeal in October 2001.

Explaining why he fired twice, Martin said: "I must say myself I was surprised I fired more than once but ... apparently adrenaline will do this and I've always questioned myself.

"I regret what's happened but I don't regret firing the gun, no."

The farmer does not know whether he will sleep easy at Bleak House

Martin said he felt sorry for Barras's family and admitted he began to feel depressed during the trial.

When asked if he had any sympathy for Barras's family, he said: "I do for his mother.

"When it looked as though I was actually going to be found not guilty I heard them in a great deal of distress and they couldn't see me but I actually felt very emotional."

Martin also recalled the moment he woke up to intruders in his house.

"I had to hunt for the gun, eventually I found the gun and I said to myself 'you're picking a gun up, you've got an illegal gun'.

The rest is history - basically I just pulled the trigger Tony Martin

"I proceeded down the staircase and I was trying to understand what was going on.

"Then basically this terrific light came on me, this beam on me.

"The rest is history. Basically I just pulled the trigger."

Martin said he had "no idea" whether he would sleep in peace when he returned to Bleak House but looked forward to making up for lost time.

"I hope I live long enough to make up for the four years I've lost. I'd like to see the trees growing and I'll have a lot more dogs again.

"I don't think there is anything wrong with me. I've got a few friends who say I'm extremely eccentric but they all think it's jolly and damn good fun."