LONDON -- Tony Martin, the British farmer convicted of shooting two burglars on his land, was unrepentant Monday ahead of his expected release from prison, despite threats he might be the target of a revenge attack.

"I'll campaign for the rights of victims," Martin was quoted as saying in an interview in the ***Daily Express***.

Martin, 56, from Norfolk in the east of England, was due to be released on Monday, two-thirds of his way through a five-year sentence for manslaughter for the August 1999 killing of Fred Barras, 16, and wounding of Brendan Fearon, 33.

The case touched off a national debate over the rights of landowners to defend their property.

The ***Daily Express*** reported that members of Britain's gypsy, or traveler, community have warned that Martin will be killed in revenge for the death of Barras. British media have reported a price of 60,000 pounds (85,700 euros/97,300 dollars) has been put on his head.

"He's a dead man. I don't know if it will be a traveler that will do it, but it will be a proper hit man, a professional job," the ***Daily Express*** quoted one gypsy as saying.

"Something will happen to him, it's got to. And to those who say it's just talk, I'd say wait and see. The detectives can't be with him all the time, can they," said another. Supporters say Martin is determined to go back to his remote and oft-burgled property, AFP reported.

A mobile police station, manned 24 hours a day, has been set out at Martin's run-down farm, Bleak House, in the village of Emneth Hungate in reaction to threats of revenge attacks.

Martin described the frustration and fear of rural homeowners, saying police did little in response to the over two dozen robberies at his property before the fatal shooting of Barras.

"Criminals will sit at people's homes and say: We are going to do your house over. You know what may happen to you if you try to stop us," said Martin.

He described the shooting as an act of desperation.

"Look, I don't agree with shooting people. It's not something I take lightly. When you resort to using a gun, you are desperate," he told the newspaper.

The night of the shooting as a "horror movie", he said, and expressed surprised he didn't have a heart attack from the fear.

After hearing the thieves, Martin said he loaded his gun and went downstairs.

"I heard this murmuring and had this light shone in my eyes. All these things happened in a flash. I couldn't stand it any longer and then I just let the gun off," he said.

Another controversy was touched off Friday when Fearon was released from prison less than a third of the way through an 18-month sentence for dealing in heroin. Fearon, 33, will drop his lawsuit against Martin for 15,000 pounds (21,000 euros, 24,000 dollars) for loss of earnings, his brother Joe told the daily ***Sun***. "Brendon doesn't want any money off Martin. It will be official in a couple of days, I swear on my kids' lives," Joe Fearon told the newspaper. "He will be seeing his solicitor today to tell him he is dropping the case."

Martin was initially jailed for life for murder, but this was reduced on appeal in October 2001 to five years for manslaughter. He had twice applied earlier for parole; both bids were rejected.

He was being held in a secret location Sunday, following his transfer from Highpoint Prison in Suffolk.

Martin is reportedly thinking of writing a book, with “My Right to Kill” and “I Will Not Say Sorry” mooted as possible titles.