Teenagers guilty of Alexander Cashford beach manslaughter in Sheppey

A trio of teenagers has been found guilty of manslaughter in connection with the death of a man they deliberately lured to a beach, where he was violently assaulted. The victim, 49-year-old Alexander Cashford, was targeted in Leysdown-on-Sea on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, in an incident that occurred on August 10 of last year. All three defendants, aged 15 and 16, denied charges of murder but faced significant legal repercussions following the court proceedings.

According to details presented at Woolwich Crown Court, the teenagers had falsely believed Cashford to be a paedophile after he casually gave his phone number to the 16-year-old girl during a chance meeting at an amusement arcade two days before the assault. Using the pseudonym “Sienna,” the group initiated contact with Cashford via text messages and arranged to meet by the sea wall. The girl’s defence lawyer, Danny Robinson KC, described the interaction as initially a “big laugh” that unintentionally escalated into a tragic event, suggesting the situation devolved from an immature prank into an attempt to expose Cashford.

The attack itself involved Cashford being chased and struck with rocks and a bottle, ultimately found lying face down in the mud. A post-mortem examination revealed extensive injuries including trauma to his face and head, bruising across his body, and multiple fractured ribs that had punctured a lung. One of the boys admitted under oath that they had discussed inflicting a “slap” on Cashford prior to the attack and justified his actions by expressing distrust in police intervention, believing authorities “wouldn’t have done anything” if they were notified about Cashford’s attempt to meet the girl.

The court also heard that the girl filmed parts of the violent chase and encouraged the boys by shouting “get him.” After the arrest, the 16-year-old boy shared video footage of the assault with acquaintances. Senior Crown Prosecutor Natalie Smith condemned the incident as “a carefully pre-planned deliberate and violent attack on someone who was not expecting it and who could not defend himself.” Although the three teenagers were acquitted of murder, they will face sentencing for manslaughter in April. The judge presiding on the case, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, noted, “These verdicts will change their lives forever.”

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