Teenager Claims Bottle Attack on Man Was Due to Police Inaction Over Paedophile Fears
A 16-year-old boy has told a court that he attacked a man with stones and a bottle because he felt police "wouldn't do anything" about his suspicions of paedophile behaviour. The teenager is one of three defendants on trial at Woolwich Crown Court, charged with the murder of Alexander Cashford, a 49-year-old man, in Leysdown-on-Sea, Kent, on August 10 last year.
Background to the Fatal Encounter
Jurors have heard that the victim met a 16-year-old girl at an amusement arcade in the seaside resort two days before the attack and gave her his phone number. The boy saved this number in his phone under the label 'Pedo'. The three defendants – the 16-year-old boy and girl, along with a 15-year-old boy – then exchanged around 75 messages with Mr Cashford, who believed he was communicating with a girl named 'Sienna'.
Prosecutors allege that Mr Cashford was lured to a meeting by the sea wall, where he was chased, hit with rocks and a bottle, and later found lying face down in mud. A post-mortem examination revealed he suffered injuries to his face and head, bruises on his limbs and body, and multiple fractured ribs that punctured his lung.
Defendant's Justification for the Assault
Giving evidence, the 16-year-old boy explained that after the attack, he took screenshots of their text exchanges to demonstrate how Mr Cashford was "trying to meet up with, well, a 16-year-old". When asked by prosecutor Kate Blumgart KC if he thought he had "done the right thing" by attacking him, he replied, "Yeah, kind of, yeah."
He elaborated on his reasoning, stating, "Because I feel like the police wouldn't have done anything." The defendant admitted he had considered informing officers about Mr Cashford's intentions but chose not to, reiterating, "Cause I feel like they wouldn't have done anything." When questioned about what he wanted the police to do, he simply said, "Lock him up."
Details of the Violent Incident
Footage played to the court showed the boy striking Mr Cashford on the back of the head with a bottle, which did not break, before attempting to hit him again at least once. He acknowledged wanting to use the bottle to hurt Mr Cashford but claimed he did not believe it would cause "serious injury".
When the prosecution asked what he thought would happen if he hit someone in the head with a bottle, he responded, "Give him a bump on his head." He denied thinking it might cause serious injury, adding, "I'm not really sure what was going through my head. It was literally just I saw the bottle and I picked it up."
The video also depicted him and his male co-defendant running after Mr Cashford as he tried to flee. During the incident, the girl could be heard screaming, "F****** paedophile. I'm f****** 16. You f****** paedophile."
Legal Proceedings and Charges
The 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has previously pleaded guilty to a secondary charge of manslaughter. However, the girl and the 15-year-old boy deny manslaughter, and all three defendants deny the charge of murder. The trial is ongoing, with the court continuing to examine the circumstances leading to Mr Cashford's death.
This case highlights complex issues around vigilantism, youth crime, and public trust in law enforcement, as the defendant's actions were driven by a belief that official channels would fail to address his concerns. The outcome of the trial will be closely watched for its implications on how such situations are handled in the future.
