Teens ‘beat man to death with rocks while shouting ‘paedo’ on UK holiday hotspot beach

Alexander Cashman, 49, was found dead on a beach on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent on August 10 last year. Three teenagers have been charged with murder which they all deny

Three teenagers lured a man to a beach using a fake name before beating him to death with rocks, a court has heard. A girl, 16, and two boys, 15 and 16, first met Alexander Cashford on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent.

The 49-year-old electrician gave his phone number to the girl. The teens sent him messages using the fake name Sienna, Woolwich Crown Court heard.

The adolescents made plans to meet Alexander by the sea wall of the costal town on August 10. Alexander was pronounced dead just 68 minutes after meeting the teens.

Prosecutor Kate Blumgart KC told the court one witness described the boy, 16, throwing rocks at Alexander, saying the first throw was “like a lob”, “frantic” and with “a lot of power around it”.

She added: “Mr Cashford did not react at all, he was lying face down in the mud.” After a witness shouted at the defendants to stop, the 16-year-old boy roared back “he’s a f****** paedophile” along with the girl, jurors heard.

Ms Blumgart said: “Lynhi Nguyen recalled that as she walked onto the path that runs along the beach she too saw a body on the floor and a boy throwing rocks at the body.

“Again, that was the 16-year-old boy. She describes him using his right arm in an overarm motion to throw them and the person on the floor was not moving.

“The first rock was directed towards the head, the second rock hitting somewhere on the body. She was concerned because Mr Cashford did nothing to defend himself.

“She described Mr Cashford as face down, bald with a lump on the back of his head. She called the police.”

The police rushed to the scene to find Alexander lying face up around 50m from the path on an uneven rubble surface. He was confirmed dead at the scene after suffering multiple injuries to his body, the court heard.

The three defendants each deny one count of murder and the trial continues.

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