A 16-year-old boy has pleaded guilty to manslaughter after electrician Alexander Cashford died in a brutal attack on Leysdown beach.
Three Teens On Trial Over Fatal Beating
The court heard that Alexander Cashford was killed on August 10 last year in Leysdown, on Sheppey. Three teenagers, all from London—a 16-year-old girl and two boys aged 15 and 16—stood trial at Woolwich Crown Court accused of murder.
This morning (January 15), the 16-year-old boy admitted manslaughter. The girl and the younger boy denied the charge.
Victim Lured With Fake Identity
Prosecutor Kate Blumgart KC revealed the trio lured Alexander to the Warden Bay Road area under the false pretense that he was meeting a 16-year-old girl named “Sienna.” Instead, he was chased and attacked.
Evidence showed the girl met the 49-year-old electrician “by chance” at Playtime Arcade two days earlier, where he gave her his business card. Over 75 messages then passed between Alexander and the teens, who used one boy’s phone to pose as “Sienna.”
Brutal Attack Caught on Video
The court viewed a short video filmed by the girl just ten minutes after their meeting. In it, Alexander is struck on the head with a glass bottle while the girl shouts chilling abuse, calling him “f***ing paedophile” and urging the others to “get him, f***ing nonce.”
Eyewitnesses later saw the victim lying in mud as the 16-year-old boy reportedly threw rocks at his head and stomach. Prosecutors claim it was a joint attack, with each teenager playing a key role.
Six-Week Trial Underway
The trial, presided over by High Court Judge Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, continues as the court hears more harrowing details behind Alexander Cashford’s death.
