Three Teenagers Jailed for Killing Alexander Cashford After Luring Him to Isle of Sheppey Beach

Three teenagers were sentenced for killing Alexander Cashford, 49, after luring him to a beach on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent.

“- Published Three teenagers have been sentenced for killing a man they thought was a paedophile on a Kent beach”

BBC

The BBC said the girl, 16, and boy, 15, were found guilty of Alexander Cashford's manslaughter in Leysdown-on-Sea, Kent, in August 2025, while another boy, 16, had previously pleaded guilty to the same offence.

BBC

The court at the Old Bailey imposed seven-year terms for the girl and the 16-year-old boy and a five-year term for the younger boy, with the BBC adding that “The teenagers will all serve one half of their sentence and the remainder on licence.”

The Telegraph reported that a boy and a girl, both aged 16, were jailed for seven years, while a boy aged 15 received five years, and it said jurors unanimously acquitted the trio of murder after a trial at Woolwich Crown Court in February.

Kent Live similarly described the sentencing on Thursday by Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, saying the eldest boy and girl were locked up for seven years and the third boy was sentenced to five years.

The Telegraph and BBC both described the attack as involving rocks and a bottle, and the BBC said Cashford was chased and hit with rocks and a bottle before he was found lying face down in the mud.

In sentencing remarks, the BBC quoted Justice Cheema-Grubb saying, “You decided to attack a man that none of you knew and two of you had never met,” and also added, “All he did was give a business card. He did not touch you. You could have thrown it away.”

The sentencing followed a sequence of events that began with a chance meeting and then escalated into a planned encounter under a false identity.

The BBC said Cashford, an electrician, gave the girl his phone number in a chance encounter at an arcade two days before the killing, and it said the trio then used the alias Sienna to exchange some 75 messages and arrange to meet him.

GB News

The Telegraph added that jurors were told Cashford had given the girl his number on Aug 8 after meeting her by chance at an amusement arcade, and that he handed her a business card with a name on it that was not his.

The Telegraph and GB News both described how the teenagers adopted the alias Sienna and arranged to meet him by the sea wall, with GB News stating they exchanged approximately 75 messages with the victim.

The Telegraph reported that the 16-year-old boy saved Cashford’s number in his own phone as “pedo,” and it said around 75 messages were sent between them.

According to the Telegraph, during their exchanges Cashford claimed to be 30, asked the girl whether she liked champagne, and said he wanted to kiss her, while “Sienna” suggested they meet at her parents’ empty home and told him to bring alcohol.

The BBC said the girl videoed the two boys launching the attack, and the CPS described the girl’s video as showing “unwavering enthusiasm” while shouting “paedophile” at Cashford.

In court, prosecutors and defence lawyers framed the teenagers’ actions in sharply different ways, while Cashford’s family described the impact of the killing.

“Three teenagers detained for killing 'friendly' man they lured to Kent beach and attacked with rocks Alexander Cashford, 49, was chased at Leysdown-on-Sea and hit with rocks and a bottle before being found lying face down in mud Three teenagers have been detained for killing a man they thought was a paedophile by luring him to a Kent beach before one threw rocks and a bottle at him”

Kent Live

The BBC quoted Natalie Smith, from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), saying, “This was a carefully pre-planned deliberate and violent attack on someone... who could not defend himself,” and it added that she said, “Despite his best attempts to flee, he was relentlessly pursued and attacked, even when witnesses reported he was lying on the ground.”

The BBC also reported that the judge called the killing “an 'appalling incident and senseless loss of life'” and said, “You decided to attack a man that none of you knew and two of you had never met.”

Defence arguments emphasized the incident’s origin as a childish misunderstanding that escalated, with Danny Robinson KC telling the BBC that the texts began as a “laugh” but could have become an attempt to name and shame Cashford, and that it was “a childish escapade that got out of hand.”

The Telegraph similarly quoted Danny Robinson KC saying the attack was not the product of an “organised plan to kill or cause anyone really serious harm, it was a childish escapade that got out of hand very quickly with tragic consequences”.

For the 16-year-old boy, Danny Moore KC told the Telegraph that his client felt genuine remorse and asked for the shortest possible sentence, describing him as someone who “couldn’t have had a harder beginning in life”.

Cashford’s sister, Emma Gould, told the court she was left as an only child and asked, “How will I explain to my six-year-old son he will never see his uncle again?”

While all outlets described the same core incident—luring Alexander Cashford to Leysdown-on-Sea on the Isle of Sheppey and attacking him with rocks and a bottle—coverage diverged on how the evidence and injuries were characterized.

The BBC said Cashford had “more than 30 external injuries” and that the jury heard he had injuries to his face and head, bruising across his limbs and body, and multiple fractured ribs that had punctured his lung.

Kent Online

Rayo reported a post-mortem examination revealed significant injuries including fractures to Mr Cashford's ribs, which had punctured his lung, and “30 external injuries,” and it added that a pathologist told the court he ultimately died from "chest injuries".

The Telegraph described a post-mortem examination showing fractured ribs that had punctured his lung and included details about the girl shouting “f---ing paedophile, I’m f---ing 16, get him” as she filmed the boys chasing Mr Cashford.

GB News described the encounter beginning two days earlier when Cashford met the girl at an amusement arcade and gave her his phone number, and it said he arrived at the seafront at around 7pm on the evening of the attack.

Kent Online and Kent Live both said the jury acquitted the trio of murder at Woolwich Crown Court in February, but they differed in emphasis: Kent Online said the older boy had previously accepted responsibility and admitted the same charge on the third day of the trial, while Kent Live said the 16-year-old boy admitted manslaughter days into the trial.

The BBC’s account also included CPS characterizations of witnesses, saying some witnesses went to Cashford’s aid and others tracked the group and reported where they were, leading to swift arrests by Kent Police.

The sentencing also set out how the teenagers would serve their terms and what the court heard about planning and mitigation.

“Three teenagers who lured 'kind and compassionate' man to beach before killing him jailed Three teenagers have been detained for killing a man they thought was a paedophile by luring him to a Kent beach before one threw rocks and a bottle at him”

LBC

The BBC said, “The teenagers will all serve one half of their sentence and the remainder on licence,” and it described the judge’s view that the killing was “an 'appalling incident and senseless loss of life'.”

LBC

Kent Online said prosecutor Kate Blumgart KC told the court that although all three defendants were of previous good character, there was “obvious premeditation and planning,” and it added that the offences were aggravated by the use of a weapon and the fact that they lured Mr Cashford “away from the crowds” before attacking him.

In mitigation, Kent Online said Danny Moore KC asked for a youth rehabilitation order for the youngest defendant rather than a custodial sentence, and it quoted Benjamin Newton asking Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb to consider that order, saying any further time would be “counterproductive” to his future.

Kent Online also said the youngest defendant was 14 at the time and had already been in detention for nine months, and it quoted Benjamin Newton KC saying the teenager played a “minor role” and did not continue chasing Mr Cashford after the initial, recorded attack, or “arm himself.”

For the 16-year-old boy, Kent Online said Danny Moore KC explained the teenager was diagnosed with autism and ADHD, which impacts his “consequential thinking and decision making,” and it said the defence described the incident as “completely out of character.”

Across outlets, the family’s statements underscored the lasting consequences, with the Telegraph and Kent Live both quoting the parents’ “emotionally crushed” description and Emma Gould’s question about explaining to her six-year-old son that he will never see his uncle again.