A teenage boy has pleaded guilty to manslaughter of Alexander Cashford - he and two other teens all deny murdering the 49-year-old
Eliana Nunes, Georgia Bates and Laura Hill
16:23, 15 Jan 2026Updated 16:27, 15 Jan 2026
A teenage boy accused of luring a 49-year-old man he said was a paedophile to a beach before his death has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Alexander Cashford, an electrician from Kent, was found lying face down in mud with multiple head and face injuries in Leysdown-on-Sea on the Isle of Sheppey on August 10. A 16-year-old girl and two boys, aged 15 and 16, are on trial at Woolwich Crown Court for the murder of Mr Cashford, a charge which all three deny.
On Thursday, the 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to a secondary charge of manslaughter. The 16-year-old girl and 15-year-old boy pleaded not guilty to manslaughter.
Jurors were previously told that Mr Cashford had given the girl his number on August 8 after meeting her at an amusement arcade. Using the fake name Sienna, the trio exchanged messages with Mr Cashford and arranged to meet him by the sea wall on August 10.
When Mr Cashford met with the 16-year-old girl, the pair walked together along the seafront while the two teenage boys followed behind. The court heard that at one point, the 16-year-old boy picked up an empty glass bottle.
Police found a video recording on the 16-year-old boy's phone, which prosecutors say was filmed by the girl, in which she shouts "f****** paedophile, I'm f****** 16" and "Get him". The 16-year-old boy is filmed shouting and holding the glass bottle, before using it to hit Mr Cashford on the back of the head and swinging it at his upper body, the court previously heard.
As the boys chased Mr Cashford, he fell onto the stone floor, jurors were told. Witnesses described the 16-year-old boy throwing large rocks at Mr Cashford's "already seemingly lifeless body and head". 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".
The trial continues.