Pub Landlady Inherits £2.5 Million Fortune from Notorious Farmer Tony Martin
A pub landlady who inherited the entire £2.5 million estate of notorious burglar killer Tony Martin has revealed she had "no idea" she stood to land the fortune. Farmer Martin, who died last year aged 80, left his entire wealth to Jacqui Wadsley, a landlady he met after his release from prison.
The Infamous Case of Tony Martin
Tony Martin was initially jailed for the murder of 16-year-old Fred Barras and for seriously injuring accomplice Brendon Fearon after they broke into his isolated farmhouse, near Wisbech, in 1999. The murder conviction was later quashed on appeal, and Martin instead spent three years in prison for manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility, after he was diagnosed with paranoid personality disorder. He was released in July 2003.
Martin's case sparked a public outcry, leading the Court of Appeal to downgrade his murder conviction to manslaughter for killing Mr Barras and wounding his accomplice, Mr Fearon. However, upon his release, Martin was left lonely and would frequent the Hare and Hounds pub in Wisbech, a short drive from the village of Emneth Hungate, where he lived.
An Unexpected Inheritance
Jacqui Wadsley, from Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, has disclosed that the bequest – which consists of the infamous Bleak House farmhouse, 350 acres of prime agricultural land, and property in Australia – came as a complete surprise. Friend and neighbour Richard Allen told the Daily Mail: "When he came out of prison Tony didn't have anybody. But Jacqui is a very kind lady, she took pity on him and took him into her home."
He added: "However, she and her husband David had no idea that he would leave everything to them. When he was released, Tony moved to a village a few miles outside Wisbech. But he used to go to her pub and she befriended him and she invited him to her house where she and her husband David looked after him."
Building a Friendship
Martin became a regular at the Wadsley household, often joining them for Sunday lunches and helping with odd jobs like gardening and washing cars. Allen noted: "They were very kind to him even though he was a bit of a strange chap. He was quite a mess. He didn't look after himself very well. After everything that happened, he didn't really used to wash, and he was quite a sight. But Jacqui and David didn't seem to mind."
Katie Jolly, a barmaid at another pub in Wisbech, recounted how Jacqui took Martin "under her wing" when he came out of prison. She said: "When Tony came out of prison people were very wary of him. He used to go into the Hare and Hounds where Jacqui was the landlady, and she took him under her wing. She was kind to him when no one wanted to know him."
Jolly added: "Be honest Tony Martin was an odd fellow and could be very awkward. And he was very smelly – that was the worst thing about him. He used to drink here too and no one wanted to be anywhere near him because he smelt."
The Estate and Its Value
According to Tony Martin's will, signed on January 28, 2013, the farmer made the Wadsleys his executors and trustees, leaving his estate to them in the event of his death. A probate document, dated February 14, 2026, named the couple as beneficiaries and placed the net value of Martin's estate at £2,567,795.
The estate includes:
- The crumbling Bleak House farmhouse, which Martin never returned to after his release.
- 350 acres of prime agricultural land.
- Property in Australia.
Martin's only living relatives – his older brother Robin and his daughter, the farmer's niece – did not receive anything from his will.
Reactions and Legacy
David Wadsley previously told the Mirror that Martin first met Ms Wadsley over 20 years ago. He said: "It was a slow burner but Jacqui, by her nature, she's a very, very caring person so the friendship just grew. It became something much stronger and ended up being more like a father and a daughter relationship to be honest at the end."
He added that his wife had been "very surprised" at Martin's decision to leave them his estate. "It was just her caring nature that was just to look after him and then it just grew from there. It was a shock to find out we had been named in his will. We're still trying to take it all in really," he said.
Malcolm Starr, a friend of Martin, told the BBC he believed Ms Wadsley "deserved every penny", as she had been a "very loyal friend". He said: "She was very generous with her time, which he appreciated, because often if you had a phone call with him it could last three hours."
Starr explained that Martin had accrued his wealth through inheritance but had lived very frugally. "Tony left all his money to Jacqui because after a while he found out she was the most genuine person he had within his friendship [group]. She deserved the money because she was so loyal to him," he added.
Current Situation
The Hare and Hounds pub closed down last year, and the Wadsleys did not respond to requests for comment. Earlier this month, the crumbling remains of Bleak House were seen being cleared out. The house was already in a dilapidated state before the killing and today it is crumbling into the ground.
Despite the controversy surrounding Martin's past, the Wadsleys' kindness and loyalty have been highlighted by those who knew them, making this inheritance a poignant end to a complex story.
