Stepfather convicted of brutal hammer murders

Josh and Chloe Bashford (Family Handout/PA) Family Handout

Derek Martin (67) has been found guilty of murdering his stepdaughter Chloe Bashford (30) and her husband Josh Bashford (33) at their home in Newhaven, East Sussex. The jury at Brighton Law Courts rejected Martin's claims of diminished responsibility due to a mental episode, convicting him of the double murder that took place on June 9, 2023.

The couple, who were parents of four children, were killed "in quick succession" before Martin collected two of their children from school. He then met all four children at a Costa Coffee shop before taking them to their grandmother's house, the court heard.

The deadly attacks

Martin first attacked Chloe Bashford with a hammer just after midday, striking her on the head before retrieving a large knife from the kitchen and stabbing her eight times. Prosecutor Julian Evans KC told the court that Martin and Mrs Bashford had been "close" and had spent the morning together before the attack occurred around 12:16.

When Josh Bashford arrived home from work at approximately 12:20, Martin ambushed him and chased him into an upstairs bedroom. Martin then repeatedly stabbed Mr Bashford with a knife and compressed his neck with a ligature, causing fatal injuries.

After the killings, Martin removed the handles from the bedroom doors where the bodies lay, changed his clothes and took the doorbell camera off the front door. He later disposed of Mrs Bashford's phone before dropping off the children and walking into Brighton police station, where he said: "I've murdered two people."

Family relationships and motive

Despite no longer being in a relationship with Mrs Bashford's mother, Martin had remained "close friends" with his stepdaughter, who referred to him as "step dad" in a text message sent on the day she died. Her eldest son described Martin as a "grandfather figure" who was "easy to be around", but noted he had a "bad temper" and could "switch up" easily.

In a police interview on June 10, 2023, Martin explained his actions, saying he felt he was getting "used" all the time and had accumulated significant debt. He told officers: "Then he said that he 'just lost it' and he 'just flipped'. He hit Chloe on the head with the hammer. He did not know what had happened."

Five psychiatrists assessed whether Martin could use the diminished responsibility defence, but jurors ultimately rejected this argument and found him guilty of both murders.

Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).