Teenagers ‘planned to attack man who thought he was meeting girl, 16’

Three teenagers “deliberately planned to attack” a man they branded a paedophile before he was chased and hit with rocks and a bottle, a court has heard.

A 16-year-old girl and two boys aged 15 and 16 are on trial at Woolwich Crown Court for the murder of Alexander Cashford in Leysdown-on-Sea, Kent, on August 10 last year.

Prosecutor Kate Blumgart KC told the jury that Mr Cashford met the girl by chance at an arcade in the seaside resort on August 8, giving her his phone number on a business card.

The 16-year-old boy saved it in his own phone as “pedo” (sic) and over the next two days around 75 messages were exchanged, with Mr Cashford believing he was in contact with a 16-year-old girl named Sienna.

He claimed to be 30, asked her if she liked champagne and said he wanted to kiss her, with “Sienna” then suggesting they meet at her empty parents’ home and telling him to bring alcohol, the jury heard.

Mr Cashford met the 16-year-old female defendant at around 7pm on August 10 at the seafront in Leysdown-on-Sea, and just over an hour later he was dead, the court was told.

A post-mortem examination showed he had injuries to his face and head, bruises on his limbs and body, and a number of fractured ribs that had punctured his lung.

It is claimed the two boys followed Mr Cashford and the girl as they walked along the promenade in the Isle of Sheppey village, before the 16-year-old boy hit him on the back of the head with a bottle.

The girl shouted “f****** paedophile, I’m f****** 16, get him” as she filmed the attack, with witnesses describing the 16-year-old boy throwing rocks at Mr Cashford.

After he was arrested, prosecutors say the 16-year-old boy shared footage of the attack with three people, with the caption: “f***** pedo (sic) up lol”

A video clip was shown to the jury of shouting and two boys and a man running along a seafront path.

Continuing to open the prosecution case on Wednesday, Ms Blumgart said: “These three defendants did happen by chance to meet Mr Cashford.

“What happened thereafter, however, was not by chance.

“They were so outraged by his interest in ‘Sienna’ that they deliberately planned to attack him.

“This was a joint attack with each of them playing a vital part.”

The two boys followed Mr Cashford “for a considerable distance” while he walked with the girl along the promenade on the evening of August 10, she said.

During this time, the 16-year-old boy armed himself with the bottle that he went on to use to hit the 49-year-old over the head, the court heard.

Ms Blumgart said: “He was later seen by witnesses throwing large rocks at Mr Cashford’s already seemingly lifeless body and head.

“This at the tail end of a vicious onslaught.”

The girl showed “unwavering enthusiasm for the venture” that could be heard in her “shrieks” as she recorded the attack, the court was told.

The footage was “undoubtedly planned to be evidence of their own successful hunt”, Ms Blumgart said.

The teenagers deny the charges and the trial continues on Thursday.