Teen accused of murder admits lying to police
Kent PoliceA teenage boy accused of murdering a man who he believed was a paedophile lied to the police about the incident, a court has heard.
A 16-year-old girl and two boys, 15 and 16, who cannot be named for legal reasons, deny murdering Alexander Cashford, 49, in Leysdown-on-Sea on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, on 10 August last year.
Woolwich Crown Court was previously told that Cashford had met the girl by chance and exchanged messages.
On Friday, the 15-year-old boy said that post-arrest claims he made about Cashford having pushed him down and kicked him in the head were untrue.
The court heard that Cashford had met the girl days before his death, whereupon he gave her his phone number and exchanged about 75 messages, believing he was talking to someone named Sienna.
Cashford then met the girl on 10 August and was accused of being a paedophile before being attacked with rocks and a bottle, the jury was told.
'Why did you lie?'
During cross-examination, Kate Blumgart KC asked the teenage boy why he had told the police after his arrest that Cashford had attacked him.
"Why did you lie? Did that happen?" she said.
"No," the teen said.
"Did you say it to make it look like [Cashford] had been aggressive?" Blumgart added.
"No," he said.
The teenager was also asked about a fist bump the boys were said to have given each other before following Cashford along the seafront.
"It looks very much like you are saying, 'the plan's coming together'," Blumgart said.
The 15-year-old said: "I don't remember why we fist bumped."
The trial continues.
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