Three teenagers have been jailed today for luring a man they thought to be a paedophile to a beach before killing him.
A boy and girl, both aged 16, each received seven-year terms, whilst a 15-year-old boy was given five years in youth detention for the manslaughter of Alexander Cashford, 49.
The Old Bailey heard the trio lured Mr Cashford to a beach in Leysdown-on-Sea on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent on August 10 last year, where he was attacked with rocks and a bottle before being left face down in mud.
Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb understood the incident began as a "bit of mischief" among holidaying teenagers but evolved into "dangerous misconduct which risked and ultimately took a man's life".
The encounter began two days earlier, when Mr Cashford met the girl by chance at an amusement arcade and gave her his phone number, along with a business card bearing a false name.
Adopting the alias Sienna, the three teenagers then exchanged approximately 75 messages with the victim, arranging to meet him by the sea wall.
The older boy had stored Mr Cashford's contact details in his phone under the label "pedo".
During their exchanges, Mr Cashford claimed to be 30 years old, enquired whether the girl enjoyed champagne, and expressed a desire to kiss her.
The court heard the trio lured Alexander Cashford to a beach in Leysdown-on-Sea on the Isle of Sheppey
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The fictional Sienna responded by proposing they meet at her parents' vacant property and requested he bring alcohol.
Mr Cashford arrived at the seafront at around 7pm on the evening of the attack.
When Mr Cashford and the girl met, the two boys trailed behind as the pair walked along the promenade before launching their assault.
Mobile phone footage captured the older boy striking the victim on the head with a bottle, after which both male defendants pursued Mr Cashford as he attempted to flee.
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The court heard the girl recorded the chase whilst screaming accusations at the victim, shouting she was 16 years old and urging the boys to catch him.
After Mr Cashford fell to the ground, the 16-year-old boy hurled a rock at him – which one witness described as being the size of a cereal bowl.
The older boy subsequently shared footage of the assault with three people, captioning it with a boastful message about attacking a "pedo".
A post-mortem examination revealed Mr Cashford had sustained injuries to his face and head, bruising across his limbs and body, and multiple fractured ribs that had punctured his lung.
His parents, David and Linda, provided a statement describing their son as a "kind, friendly and compassionate person" with a love for wildlife and sports.
They told the court they were "emotionally crushed" and that the impact on their family was "practically impossible to put into words".
The couple added he had been the rock in their lives, stating: "The slander against Alex's name is particularly difficult; we know this could not be further from the truth."
Mr Cashford's sister, Emma Gould, said she had been left an only child after her brother was taken in a "cruel and violent" manner, asking: "How will I explain to my six-year-old son he will never see his uncle again?"
The defendants cannot be identified for legal reasons.
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