In a tragic turn of events, a 19-year-old footballer has been identified as the suspected burglar who was fatally shot during a suspected break-in at a farm in the Peak District.
The young man, Marcus Smith, suffered deadly gunshot wounds in the early hours chaos at a remote property in Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire.
Police were alerted to the burglary just before 1.30am, where they discovered the critically injured Smith inside the premises and another severely wounded individual on the road outside.
Smith, remembered as a well-liked figure in his community, was a former pupil at Chapel-en-le-Frith High School and played for the local football club, Chapel Town FC.
His mother, Kerry, a nurse by profession, shared a heartfelt photo of herself with her son on Facebook, sparking a wave of condolences from friends and loved ones.
One poignant tribute read: “We are so shocked and so heartbroken, nothing can express how deeply sorry we are.”
A local pub, where Smith was a resident DJ, has paid tribute to him following his tragic death.
The statement read: “Myself and All the staff at the Shoulder of Mutton, Chapel en le Frith would like send our utmost deepest sympathy’s and condolences to the Family and Friends of Marcus Smith , he was a Resident Dj here and we are devastated at your loss he was much loved by everyone who met him, he was a funny, polite, well mannered, charming young man who will be extremely missed by everyone, our thoughts, wishes and prayers to you all. From everyone at the Shoulder all our love..”, reports the Mirror.
A farmer, aged in his 50s, was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder at the scene. The dad-of-four is understood to be a private-school educated regular churchgoer.
A second man, also in his teens, was found lying in the road outside having also been shot. He was taken to hospital before being arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary.
A third male suspect, in his 20s, was arrested around two miles away by armed cops who swooped on a car – believed to be a white BMW – on the A6 in Chapel-en-le-Frith.
Police confirmed that they had received reports of a burglary at the dairy farm on Tuesday at around 3.30pm, where officers attended. They said they were keeping an “open mind” as to whether the incidents were linked.
Yesterday drone photographs showed two police vans and four other unmarked vehicles parked beside the two-story farmhouse. Dozens of forensic investigators were also spotted working at the isolated address, which has a cow milking operation and rears sheep.
The incident has been described as a “burglary gone wrong” by worried neighbours. One local woman told MailOnline: “The farm is in a remote location, quite deep in the valley and set back from the main road. I suspect it was an opportunistic burglary that has gone wrong.”
Another neighbour expressed their shock, saying: “Obviously, it’s shocking when something like this happens on your doorstep. I’ve had people ringing me asking if I’m okay. This is normally a sleepy, little town.”
Chief Superintendent Dave Kirby, from Derbyshire Police, said: “We appreciate the impact this incident is having on this small rural community and we’d like to thank local residents for their help with this investigation so far.
“We are aware there has been some speculation locally around this and, while we are in the early stages of the investigation, we believe this is a targeted incident. We don’t believe there is any wider risk to the public.”
The case has echoes of Norfolk farmer Tony Martin, who shot a burglar dead in his home in 1999. Martin, whose home had been repeatedly targeted by thieves, shot 16-year-old intruder Fred Barras with an illegal pump-action shotgun. He was initially convicted of murder before it was reduced to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He served three years behind bars.
