Teenagers Found Guilty in Fatal Beach Attack on Kent Man
Two teenagers have been convicted of manslaughter for their involvement in the killing of Alexander Cashford, a 49-year-old man who was attacked on a beach in Leysdown-on-Sea, Kent. The 16-year-old girl and 15-year-old boy were cleared of murder but found guilty of the secondary charge at Woolwich Crown Court. A third teenager, also aged 16, had previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with the incident that occurred on 10 August last year.
Details of the Attack and Court Proceedings
The court heard that the attack unfolded after Cashford met the 16-year-old girl at an amusement arcade and provided her with a business card bearing a fake name. Using the alias Sienna, the teenagers exchanged messages with Cashford, who claimed to be 30 years old and expressed romantic interest in the girl. They arranged to meet him at the seafront around 7pm, where they followed him along the promenade before chasing and assaulting him with rocks and a bottle.
Cashford was discovered deceased, face down in mud, with a postmortem examination revealing severe injuries including facial and head trauma, bruises across his limbs and body, and fractured ribs that had punctured his lung. During the trial, it was disclosed that the girl recorded video footage of the boys pursuing the victim while shouting derogatory remarks, and the older boy later shared the footage with others, accompanied by an insensitive caption.
Motivations and Legal Arguments
In court, the older boy admitted that he initially believed the attack was justified, citing a lack of faith in police intervention. Defence counsel Danny Robinson KC argued that the teenagers' actions began as a misguided attempt to expose Cashford, escalating into a tragic and unplanned violent episode. The girl and the younger male defendant maintained that there was no premeditated plan to harm Cashford.
Senior prosecutor Natalie Smith from the Crown Prosecution Service condemned the attack as a premeditated and brutal assault on an unsuspecting individual, emphasizing that the perpetrators pursued Cashford relentlessly even after he was incapacitated. She stated that the convictions provide some solace to Cashford's family, ensuring accountability for his death.
Sentencing and Aftermath
The three teenagers, who cannot be named due to their ages, are scheduled to be sentenced in April. This case highlights the severe consequences of vigilante violence and the complexities of youth involvement in criminal activities, sparking broader discussions on community safety and legal responses to such incidents in Kent and beyond.
