Murder accused teen 'shared video to show off'

A teenager accused of murdering a man on the Isle of Sheppey shared a video of himself attacking his victim to show off, a court has heard.

The 16-year-old, who has admitted manslaughter, but denies murder, and cannot be named for legal reasons, gave evidence and told Woolwich Crown Court he hit his victim with a bottle and kicked him.

Alexander Cashford, 49, from Kent, was found with multiple injuries in Leysdown-on-Sea last August.

A 16-year-old girl and another boy, aged 15, also deny murder.

The court has heard how two boys and a girl branded Cashford as a paedophile and planned to attack him after he met the girl by chance two days earlier and gave her his phone number.

On Monday, the 16-year-old boy was asked by defence counsel Danny Moore KC what had been said among the group about what would happen if there was a meeting with Cashford.

The defendant replied: "Meet up with him, hit him a few times."

Moore asked what Cashford was doing that was wrong, and the boy replied: "Trying to get with a 16-year-old."

The teenager told the court he hit Cashford once with a bottle, using medium force, and gave him a "very light" kick in his side.

The boy said when he left Cashford he did not know whether his victim was conscious or unconscious.

Moore asked: "Were you able to see his eyes?"

The boy replied: "No."

Moore asked: "When you left him, did you think he was seriously injured or not?"

The defendant again replied: "No."

The boy said he was surprised when he heard Cashford had died, adding: "The way I saw it I didn't do enough damage to even give him concussion."

Later, the teenager said he shared footage of the attack recorded on a mobile phone because he was "showing off".

The trial continues.

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