Three teenagers are currently on trial at Woolwich Crown Court, accused of murdering a 49-year-old man on a Kent beach after allegedly luring him with messages from a fake profile.
Shocking Footage Presented to Jury
The jury in the high-profile case was shown video evidence allegedly depicting the violent attack on Alexander Cashford. The electrician from Kent was found with severe head and facial injuries, lying face down in mud in Leysdown-on-Sea on the Isle of Sheppey on 10 August.
Prosecutors state the footage was recovered from a mobile phone belonging to one of the accused, a 16-year-old boy. The video is said to show the moments surrounding the assault, with a teenage girl heard shouting expletives and calling Mr Cashford a "paedophile", before urging others to "Get him".
The Alleged Confrontation and Manslaughter Plea
The court heard that Mr Cashford had met a 16-year-old girl at an amusement arcade on 8 August and given her his number. Using the pseudonym 'Sienna', the girl and two male companions, aged 15 and 16, then arranged to meet him by the sea wall two days later.
On 10 August, Mr Cashford met the girl and they walked along the seafront, with the two boys following. The prosecution alleges the 16-year-old boy picked up an empty glass bottle, which he then used to strike Mr Cashford on the back of the head before swinging it at his upper body.
In a significant development, that same 16-year-old boy has pleaded guilty to manslaughter. He, along with the 15-year-old boy and the 16-year-old girl, denies the charge of murder. The girl and the younger boy have also pleaded not guilty to the alternative charge of manslaughter.
Aftermath and Social Media Taunts
Jurors were told that as the boys gave chase, Mr Cashford fell onto a stone floor. Witnesses described the 16-year-old boy then throwing large rocks at Mr Cashford's "already seemingly lifeless body and head".
Following his arrest, it is alleged the 16-year-old boy shared the footage of the attack with three contacts. The clip was reportedly sent with a caption that read: "f***** pedo (sic) up lol".
The trial at Woolwich Crown Court continues.
