A farmer who shot and killed a teenager who had allegedly broken into his home will not face criminal charges, prosecutors have said.  

Rob Lomas, 52, was arrested on suspicion of murder after Marcus Smith, 19, was found dead at the property in the Peak District in May 2024.

Police had been called to reports of a break-in at the farm on a remote country lane, in Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire, at around 1.20am.

They found Mr Smith with fatal injuries inside the property and another man seriously hurt in the road outside.

The injured man was taken to hospital for treatment and arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary.

A third suspect was also arrested on suspicion of the same offence after being stopped by police in a vehicle on the A6, near Chapel-en-le-Frith, several hours later.

It later emerged officers had also been called to reports of a break in at the farm the day before.  

Rob Lomas (pictured) was being questioned on suspicion of murder after Marcus Smith, 19, was found dead at the his property at Mosley Hall Farm

Marcus Smith was found dead after police called to reports of a break-in at a the farm on a remote country lane, in Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire

Derbyshire police had been called to reports of a burglary at the remote Peak District farmhouse the day earlier and then a second raid at 1.20am the next day

Police wearing purple gloves comb the farm outbuildings for evidence at the remote Peak District farmhouse

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Crown Prosecution Service said it had decided Mr Lomas would not face criminal charges in relation to the death of ‘one intruder and serious injuries to another on his property’. 

It said the decision related to an incident at a ‘remote premises near Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire, where a householder discharged a legally held firearm when confronted with burglars in his home’.

Janine McKinney, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS East Midlands, said: ‘After careful analysis of all the evidence gathered during the police investigation, our prosecutors have decided that there will be no criminal charges in relation to the death of Marcus Smith or the serious injury of another male.

‘This decision has been made in accordance with our statutory legal tests as prosecutors and the law surrounding the householder’s rights to defend themself.

‘Our thoughts are with Mr Smith’s family and loved ones.’ 

Three men will face proceedings for burglary in relation to the incident and a burglary at the same property the night before, the statement said. 

The law allows individuals to use reasonable force to defend themselves, others and their property if threatened with violence. 

Following his arrest, Mr Lomas’s son Joshua set up a fundraiser using the hashtag ‘freethefarmer’.

He wrote: ‘We are raising much needed funds to support our family and my father, Rob, through this very difficult time.

‘Rob has the most steadfast loyalty you could ever wish for in a father and friend and has always been there for me, and all of his many friends.

‘As every farmer does, he works relentlessly in all weathers, but always makes time for a brew and a friendly humorous chat.

‘During the early hours of the 1st May, Rob encountered intruders inside his property, having had a burglary the night prior also. Further details are available online and I won’t duplicate.

‘Rob, Kate (his partner) and I now need help in the coming weeks. That’s why we need your kind and extremely valuable help.’

Mr Smith was a former pupil at Chapel-en-le-Frith High School and a footballer who had played for local club Chapel Town FC. 

Tributes were paid online after his death with friends describing him as the ‘loveliest boy’ and ‘sweet and polite’, and someone who ‘lit up every room he entered’.

The case echoes that of Tony Martin, the farmer who shot dead a teenage intruder at his isolated Norfolk home in 1999. 

Martin was jailed in 2000 for the murder of Fred Barras, 16, and for injuring 29-year-old Brendon Fearon in the same incident. 

He was released three years later after the conviction was reduced to manslaughter.

The shooting at Martin’s farmhouse in Emneth Hungate, known as Bleak House, caused a national debate over homeowners’ rights.

Mr Martin died last year at the age of 80.