Man murders Newhaven couple, then takes their children to McDonald’s
A 67-year-old man, Derek Martin, has been found guilty of murdering a young couple, Chloe and Josh Bashford, at their home in Newhaven, East Sussex. Martin, who later confessed to police that he had “killed two people,” claimed diminished responsibility due to depression but was convicted of two counts of murder after a three-week trial. He will be sentenced on 6 November.
- Derek Martin killed Chloe and Josh Bashford in their Newhaven home after an argument about money.
- He later picked up the couple’s children, took them to fast-food outlets, and confessed to police.
- CCTV and evidence from Chloe’s recovered phone helped secure Martin’s conviction.
EAST SUSSEX, England — A man who walked into a police station and confessed to killing a young couple has been found guilty of their murders.
Derek Martin, 67, entered Brighton Police Station on the evening of June 9, 2023, telling officers, “I’ve killed two people.”
He admitted causing the deaths of Chloe and Josh Bashford at their home in Newhaven but denied murder, claiming diminished responsibility due to a depressive disorder.
After a three-week trial at Lewes Crown Court in Brighton, a jury on Friday (24 October 2025) found him guilty on two counts of murder. He has been remanded in custody and will be sentenced on 6 November.
CCTV shows calm behaviour before attack
During the trial, jurors were shown CCTV footage of Martin going about his normal routine before the killings.
The clips showed him ordering a drink at Costa in Newhaven and having breakfast with 30-year-old Chloe at The Stonehouse restaurant in Peacehaven.
Later, the pair returned to the Bashford family home along Lewes Road, where Chloe lived with her husband Josh, 33, and their four children.
Violent attack inside family home
In a police interview, Martin told officers that he had been cleaning a window when he “just flipped” during an argument over money with Chloe.
He struck her on the head with a hammer before fatally stabbing her.
When Josh returned home shortly after and saw Martin holding a knife, he tried to run upstairs.
Martin chased him, repeatedly stabbed him, and strangled him to death.
Took couple’s children out before surrendering
After the killings, Martin changed his clothes before picking up the couple’s four children from school.
He then took them to the same Costa café where he had breakfast with Chloe earlier that day, followed by a visit to a McDonald’s in Newhaven.
During this time, he discarded Chloe’s mobile phone in the bushes near a nearby Sainsbury’s.
He later dropped the children off at their grandmother’s home in Brighton, bought beers from a shop in Whitehawk, and drank them on the seafront before turning himself in to police.
Officers soon arrived at the Bashford home, where they discovered the bodies of Chloe and Josh.
Martin was immediately arrested.
Family connection and key evidence
The court heard that Martin had previously been married to Chloe’s mother years before she was born, and that he and Chloe had become close in recent years.
While in custody, Sussex Police launched a public appeal to find Chloe’s missing phone.
After seeing the appeal, Martin gave prison staff a handwritten note revealing its location.
The device was later recovered and provided key evidence during the trial.
