Three teenagers are standing trial for murder after allegedly planning and carrying out a fatal attack on a 49-year-old man they had branded a 'paedophile', a court has been told.
A Fatal Encounter by the Sea
Alexander Cashford, 49, was pronounced dead just over an hour after meeting a 16-year-old girl by a sea wall in Leysdown-on-Sea, Kent, on August 10 last year. Woolwich Crown Court heard that the encounter was the culmination of a plan allegedly hatched by the girl and two boys, aged 15 and 16.
The court was told that Mr Cashford had initially met the girl by chance at an arcade in the seaside resort on August 8. He gave her his phone number on a business card. Prosecutor Kate Blumgart KC stated that the 16-year-old boy then saved the contact in his own phone under the label 'pedo'.
Over the following two days, around 75 messages were exchanged. Mr Cashford believed he was communicating with a 16-year-old girl named 'Sienna'. He claimed to be 30, asked if she liked champagne, and said he wanted to kiss her. 'Sienna' suggested they meet at her parents' empty home and told him to bring alcohol.
The Alleged Planned Assault
Prosecutor Ms Blumgart told the jury: "These three defendants did happen by chance to meet Mr Cashford. What happened thereafter, however, was not by chance." She asserted that the group were "so outraged by his interest in 'Sienna' that they deliberately planned to attack him."
The court heard that on the evening of August 10, the two boys followed Mr Cashford and the girl for a considerable distance along the promenade. The prosecution alleges the 16-year-old boy then struck Mr Cashford on the back of the head with a bottle.
Witnesses described seeing the same boy throwing large rocks at Mr Cashford's head and body, which by then appeared lifeless. The girl allegedly filmed the attack while shouting, "f****** paedophile, I'm f****** 16, get him". Ms Blumgart said the footage was "undoubtedly planned to be evidence of their own successful hunt."
Aftermath and Court Proceedings
Following his arrest, the 16-year-old boy is accused of sharing the footage of the attack with three people, adding the caption: "f****** pedo up lol".
A post-mortem examination revealed the extent of Mr Cashford's injuries, which included:
- Injuries to his face and head.
- Bruises on his limbs and body.
- A number of fractured ribs which had punctured his lung.
The 16-year-old girl and the 15-year-old boy are related. All three defendants, who cannot be named for legal reasons, are each charged with one count of murder, which they deny. The trial continues.
