What we know about Sheppey beach 'murder' as three teens charged over death of Alexander Cashford

Yahoo

2 days ago

Three teens have been arrested after Alexander Cashford, 49, died following an altercation on the Isle of Sheppey on the north Kent coast on Sunday.
Three teenagers have been charged with murder after a man was found dead at a seaside resort in Kent.
Kent Police said Alexander Cashford, 49, died after being attacked during an altercation on the Isle of Sheppey on the north Kent coast on Sunday.
Three teenagers were arrested on suspicion of murder and were in custody pending, but have now been charged with murder, Kent Police said on 13 August.
As investigations continue, police appealed for anyone with any information to contact them.
What we know
Kent Police said they were called to the Warden Bay Road area of the Leysdown-on-Sea resort on the Isle of Sheppey at around 7pm on Sunday, 10 August following reports of an "altercation" involving a small group of people.
A man in his 40s was assaulted, sustaining serious injuries, the force said.
Officers attended along with paramedics, and an air ambulance was called to the scene, but the man was pronounced dead. His next of kin has been informed, the force said.
Three teenagers - a 16-year-old girl and two boys, aged 14 and 15 - were charged with murder on 13 August. The three suspects, who are all from London, will appear at Medway Magistrates' Court on 14 August.
Detectives are appealing for witnesses, and anyone with information that may assist the investigation should call Kent Police on 01622 690690 quoting 10-1384.
In the aftermath of the attack, a cordon was set up around the scene and specialist officers were seen, along with a sniffer dog, as they searched for evidence.
Locator map
What eyewitnesses said
According to locals, the area was busy with people enjoying the Sunday sunshine at the time of the attack.
On Monday, a group of holidaymakers were heralding a local man identified as Dean as "the island hero" for trying to save the man's life.
Another local resident was surprised that her afternoon walk was disrupted, as she thought the helicopter sent last night was the coast guard, which they 'get a lot' at this time of year.
What the rules around naming child suspects
The identity of defendants and witnesses under the age of 18 who are subject to criminal proceedings in youth courts is protected by automatic reporting restrictions under Section 49 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933.
If a child is charged with an offence and is facing criminal proceedings in adult courts – magistrates' and crown courts – then magistrates and judges have legal powers to grant anonymity to a child defendant, witness or victim under Section 45 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999.
Both of these laws ban the press from publishing a child defendant's name or any detail which could lead to them being identified while the reporting restrictions remain in place.
These automatic restrictions technically begin once court proceedings are active – which is when a suspect has been charged and is appearing in court for the first time.
But media organisations typically do not identify any child arrested on suspicion of a crime, having considered their ethical and other legal responsibilities, because there is the prospect this could then lead to prosecution and court proceedings where the reporting restrictions in question will activate.
Press regulator IPSO advises editors to 'generally avoid naming children under the age of 18 after arrest for a criminal offence but before they appear in a youth court unless they can show that the individual's name is already in the public domain, or that the individual (or, if they are under 16, a custodial parent or similarly responsible adult) has given their consent', adding: 'This does not restrict the right to name juveniles who appear in a crown court, or whose anonymity is lifted.'
If restrictions are imposed, or automatic restrictions apply, child defendants remain anonymous throughout legal proceedings, but the rulings can be challenged after the court case has ended.
If a child is convicted of a crime, having either pleaded guilty or been found guilty after a trial, magistrates and judges have powers to lift reporting restrictions so the defendant can be identified in some circumstances, including if this is considered in the public interest.
Media may try to challenge the anonymity order if identifying the child could help to maintain public confidence in the justice system, or deter others from offending, by allowing full details of the case to be reported.
There could be a strong public interest in lifting reporting restrictions when the convicted child had been involved in significant disorder so the public can be satisfied an offender has been brought to justice, or if the case involved serious offences which undermined the public's confidence in the safety of their communities, for example.
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