what is it yr driving, I thought the defender fuses were in front of the gear stick??
theres another fuse box under the bonnet on UK models, 300tdi (&200 I think) on the right hand side(front the front) of the bulkhead.
next time, connect the +ve first, then, if you touch the body, theres no circuit to short, and when you do the -ve, it doesnt matter,