OAP who stabbed burglar ‘to sell home’
ThE pensioner who stabbed a burglar to death in his kitchen will not be returning to his home for fear of reprisals, it was claimed last night.
A family friend said 78-year-old Richard Osborn-Brooks and his disabled wife – who are understood to be in a safe house – were having to put their home in hither Green, south-east London, up for sale.
Friends of career criminal henry Vincent, 37, swore revenge after the armed intruder suffered a fatal stab wound on April 4.
There has since been a heavy police presence in South Park Crescent, while vigilantes have repeatedly torn down the floral tributes left to the burglar.
A friend of the couple turned up at the house yesterday and said: ‘Mr and Mrs Osborn-Brooks are definitely not going back. They are waiting for the dust to settle before they announce that publicly and put their house on the market.’
When asked if this was due to fear of revenge attacks, he added: ‘It’s the fact that they could come back and that his wife is disabled.
‘They could terrorise him. It’s not safe. he’s got what happened that night on his conscience for the rest of his life. he’s never going to forget that he’s killed someone. he’s not a violent person. he’s a really nice run of the mill guy.’
It comes ahead of planned rival protests – those showing solidarity for Mr OsbornBrooks and supporters of traveller Vincent, who have branded the pensioner a ‘murderer’. A ‘peaceful protest’ in Mr OsbornBrooks’ honour will take place on his street from midday today.
Family and friends of Vincent are said to be planning their own ‘civil rights’ march on Sunday.
Vincent, armed with a screwdriver, was stabbed as he raided Mr Osborn-Brooks’ home in the early hours while the pensioner and his wife were asleep.
Mr Osborn-Brooks was arrested on suspicion of murder – but after a public outcry he was told two days later that he would face no further action.
An alarm company has been seen installing anti-burglar systems in Mr OsbornBrooks’ property. The men were drilling in the house for several hours with police at the scene appearing to advise them on the new security measures.
A day earlier the London Fire Brigade was allowed entry to the boarded-up property to install new fire alarms.
Earlier this week a shrine to the burglar became an extraordinary battleground.
Over the course of 24 hours, the memorial of flowers, balloons and soft toys was erected, torn down, erected again, torn down and re-erected for a third time. Last night there was a solitary tatty bunch of flowers outside Mr Osborn-Brooks’ home.
Sir Craig Mackey, deputy commissioner of Scotland Yard, said he would not stop shrines being erected for Vincent because ‘laying flowers is not a crime’.
Instead, he said that anyone who pulls down tributes could be arrested for a breach of the peace.