Three teenagers have been sentenced for manslaughter after killing a man they believed was a paedophile on a Kent beach. According to BBC, a girl aged 16 and two boys aged 15 and 16 were involved in the death of Alexander Cashford, 49, in Leysdown-on-Sea last August.
Key Takeaways
Three teenagers were sentenced for manslaughter after killing a man they believed was a paedophile on a Kent beach. The girl, 16, and one boy, 15, were found guilty of Alexander Cashford's manslaughter in Leysdown-on-Sea, Kent, in August 2025. Another boy, 16, previously pleaded guilty to the same offence.
- Three teenagers sentenced for manslaughter after killing a man they believed was a paedophile on a Kent beach
- A girl, 16, and one boy, 15, were found guilty of Alexander Cashford's manslaughter in Leysdown-on-Sea, Kent, in August 2025. Another boy, 16, previously pleaded guilty to the same offence.
- The teenagers lured Mr. Cashford to the beach after he gave the girl his phone number at an arcade two days before
- The judge described the killing as an 'appalling incident and senseless loss of life'
- The teens will serve half their sentence in custody, with the remainder on licence
The girl and one boy received seven-year sentences each at the Old Bailey. The younger boy was sentenced to five years. As reported by Sky News, they lured Mr. Cashford to the beach after he gave the 16-year-old girl his phone number in a chance encounter at an arcade two days prior.
The judge, Justice Cheema-Grubb, described the killing as an 'appalling incident and senseless loss of life.' She noted that they attacked a man none of them knew. The teens will serve half their sentences in custody with the remainder on licence. According to Daily Mail, prosecutors said Cashford was chased and hit with rocks and a bottle before he was found lying face down in the mud.
The trial heard that Mr. Cashford had over 30 external injuries, including fractured ribs that punctured his lung according to Sky News. The girl filmed parts of the attack which were shown during the trial. The teens' defence lawyers claimed they believed police wouldn't act if they reported him for trying to meet up with a minor.
During sentencing at the Old Bailey, Mr Cashford's parents described their son as 'kind, friendly and compassionate.' They called his killing 'cruel, unnecessary and pointless.' The defendants were acquitted of murder but convicted of manslaughter. According to Daily Mail, Detective Chief Inspector Neil Kimber from Kent Police described the way the children filmed the incident and uploaded it to social media as 'macabre'.
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