A 16-year-old boy has admitted killing a man by stoning him on a beach in Kent, after the victim was lured there by the teenager posing as a girl online.
Three Teens on Trial for Murder
The guilty plea to manslaughter was entered at Woolwich Crown Court, where the boy and two other teenagers are on trial for the murder of 49-year-old Alexander Cashford. The attack took place on the seafront at Leysdown-on-Sea, Kent, on August 10 last year.
Prosecutor Kate Blumgart KC told the court the three defendants did not meet Mr Cashford by chance. Instead, they formulated a "deliberate plan to attack him" after becoming outraged by his contact with who he believed was a 16-year-old girl named 'Sienna'.
A Fatal Deception Unfolds
The court heard that Mr Cashford had met a 16-year-old girl at an arcade in the seaside resort two days before his death and gave her his number. The 16-year-old male defendant saved this number in his phone under the contact name 'Pedo'.
Over the following days, the three teenagers – the 16-year-old boy and girl, and a 15-year-old boy – exchanged approximately 75 messages with Mr Cashford, who believed he was communicating solely with 'Sienna'. These messages were used to arrange the fateful meeting on the beach.
Graphic Footage of the Attack
Jurors have been shown mobile phone footage and CCTV compilations of the incident. The evidence appears to show the 16-year-old boy chasing Mr Cashford and striking him on the back of the head.
Witnesses described seeing the teenager throwing large rocks at Mr Cashford's head and body as he lay motionless on the ground. Prosecutors say a video found on the 16-year-old boy's phone, allegedly filmed by the girl, captures her shouting "f****** paedophile, I'm f****** 16" and "Get him".
In the same recording, the boy is seen shouting and holding a glass bottle, which he uses to hit Mr Cashford before swinging it at his upper body. The girl is also heard yelling "Get him, f****** nonce" before the recording stops.
Plea and Continuing Trial
Before the first witness gave evidence, the 16-year-old boy pleaded guilty to a secondary charge of manslaughter. Judge Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb instructed the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in his case, reminding them he still denies the more serious charge of murder.
The other two defendants have pleaded not guilty to manslaughter. The prosecution maintains that all three are guilty of murder, arguing they acted together with a shared intent to cause at least really serious bodily injury to Mr Cashford.
The trial continues at Woolwich Crown Court.
