Murder-accused teen 'surprised' by bottle attack

A 15-year-old accused of murdering a 49-year-old has claimed he did not plan to hurt the man but did not want him to "get away with" meeting a teenage girl.

The boy, alongside a boy and a girl both aged 16, denies he murdered Alexander Cashford, who was found with multiple injuries in Leysdown-on-Sea, Kent, in August.

He told Woolwich Crown Court on Thursday he was "quite surprised" when his male co-defendant, who has admitted manslaughter, hit Cashford with a bottle.

The jury previously heard the 49-year-old gave the female defendant his card after meeting her at an amusement arcade in the village, then arranged to meet her by text message.

The 15-year-old, giving evidence in his defence, told the court he "thought it was little bit weird" that Cashford was "sitting in between two young girls" at the arcade.

He said he remembered other teenagers saying "let's message him" but denied knowing the content of the messages.

The court previously heard teenagers sent him several messages using the fake name Sienna.

Asked by his defence counsel Benjamin Newton KC if anyone asked if he would be part of a meeting with Cashford, the 15-year-old replied: "I don't think so, no."

The defendant told the court he "knew messages were being sent" on 10 August, the day Cashford died, but "didn't know the context of the messages".

Prosecutors allege the teenagers lured the older man to the seafront with a plan to attack him.

The younger boy told the jury he was worried about the 16-year-old girl meeting Cashford at the seafront and followed them with a group of other teenagers.

Asked if he had made a plan with the older male co-defendant to hurt Cashford, he said: "Not that I remember, no."

He told the court that when the older boy hit Cashford with a bottle he "didn't expect that to happen".

He said he chased Cashford and "was trying to stop him" because he "didn't want him thinking he could get away with meeting up with younger girls".

The jury heard the 15-year-old "wasn't planning to hurt him" but was going to stop him and call police.

Cashford then ran towards him and punched him, the defendant said, and he "just felt his fist hit me in the face".

The alleged murder victim then fell over and the 15-year-old - who was 14 at the time - fell over him, the jury was told.

"It hurt quite a lot as my head hit the ground," he said.

He told the court that when he got up his head was "spinning and pounding" and he did not see Cashford again.

The younger teenager told the jury he had been going to Leysdown on holiday since he was born to stay in his family's chalet in the town.

He already knew his female co-defendant and had friends in Leysdown but only met the older boy on that holiday, he said.

The trial continues.

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