Three Schoolchildren Found Guilty of Manslaughter After Filming Fatal Beach Assault
Two teenage boys and a girl have been convicted of the manslaughter of Alexander Cashford, a 49-year-old electrician, in a case described as sinister and premeditated. The trio lured Mr Cashford to a beach in Leysdown-on-Sea, Kent, under false pretenses before launching a violent attack that was filmed and uploaded to social media within minutes.
Luring the Victim with Deceptive Messages
The incident began when Mr Cashford met the 16-year-old girl at an amusement arcade on the Isle of Sheppey and gave her his business card. She then shared his phone number with the two boys, aged 15 and 16, and the group began messaging him, posing as a girl named Sienna. In their phone contacts, they saved Mr Cashford's number under the label pedo.
Over two days, they exchanged approximately 75 messages with Mr Cashford, who believed he was communicating with a 16-year-old girl. In the messages, he claimed to be 30 years old and expressed romantic interest, including asking if Sienna liked champagne and stating he wanted to kiss her.
The Fatal Attack and Social Media Footage
On August 10 last year, the group arranged to meet Mr Cashford at a beach, with the girl waiting on the sea front while the two boys followed behind, one carrying an empty glass bottle. They tailed him for around 900 meters before running up from behind and initiating the assault.
The attack involved hitting Mr Cashford on the back of the head with the bottle, throwing large rocks at him, pushing him to the ground, and kicking him. As he attempted to flee, the 16-year-old boy chased him another 200 meters. Throughout the violence, the girl filmed the incident on her phone, with audio capturing her shouting encouragement such as f---ing paedophile and get him, get him.
Witnesses reported that when they shouted at the teenagers to stop, the defendants responded by yelling he's a f****** paedophile. The footage was uploaded to social media shortly after the attack, which prosecutors highlighted as key evidence in the case.
Court Proceedings and Legal Statements
At Woolwich Crown Court, all three defendants were found guilty of manslaughter under joint enterprise. Natalie Smith, a Senior Crown Prosecutor for the CPS, stated outside court that there was sufficient evidence each contributed to Mr Cashford's death. She emphasized the carefully pre-planned and deliberate nature of the attack, noting the victim was unprepared and unable to defend himself.
Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb requested pre-sentence reports and statements from the defendants' parents or carers, thanking jurors for their service and acknowledging the tragedy of Mr Cashford's death. She remarked that the verdicts would change their lives forever.
Background and Aftermath
Mr Cashford, an only child living with his parents, had told them he was going to feed the ducks when he left to meet Sienna. It was revealed during the trial that he was on licence for stalking a young woman at the time of his death. A post-mortem examination found abrasions all over his head and neck, including a significant injury to the back of his skull, and he had a history of heart problems with a stent fitted.
Det Chief Insp Neil Kimber commented on the case, describing it as showing how fragile the line is between teenage actions and severe outcomes. He noted a naivety of age mixed with a sinister element, urging young people to be mindful of their behavior.
During the trial, the 16-year-old boy admitted to taking screenshots of the messages to show Mr Cashford was trying to meet a 16-year-old, believing the police would not have acted otherwise. The three defendants, who cannot be named due to their ages, will be sentenced at a later date, expected in April.
