Are there any circumstances under which the deceased would have been legally permitted to carry a handgun on his person for the purpose of self defense?
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The UK law states that a firearm is for sport/shooting, not self-defence, so essentially no.
BUT, as far as I am aware, this all rests on a 1946 statement by the then Home Secretary, and imo is open to challenge. A grey area. One as far I am aware the 1968, 1988 and 1997 firearms acts didn’t clarify.
In the UK, on the mainland, permits ARE allowed for CC, but have to be allowed on the basis of job or personal security. In Northern Ireland, CC is allowed.
So had this lad been attacked in Belfast or Derry, then yes. On the mainland, one would have to say no.
Of course, any UK mainland person can use their own gun/guns to defend themselves in a self-defence incident in their home or on their land. In public, unless one has the CC permit, in theory, no.