Life imprisonment for man who murdered Newhaven couple

The man who admitted to killing Chloe and Josh Bashford at their Newhaven home, has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Derek Martin entered Brighton Police station on the evening of 9 June, 2023 and told officers “I’ve killed two people.”

He admitted to causing their deaths, but denied murder due to diminished responsibility resulting from a depressive disorder.

A jury found him guilty of two counts of murder on Friday 24 October. After being remanded in custody, he appeared before the same court today (6 November), to be told must serve a minimum of 29 years’ imprisonment, reduced to 26 years, seven months and seven days, for time already served in custody.

Honourable Justice Thornton KC paid tribute to the Bashford families for their dignity throughout the investigation.

She said the attacks by Martin were “driven by rage and resentment”, and that the murders of Chloe and Josh “have caused profound grief to their families”.

Addressing Martin directly, she added: “It is clear that Chloe and Josh were loving, and loved. As a result of your actions, their families will suffer for the rest of their lives.”

During the trial, the court was shown CCTV clips of Martin going about his normal routine before the incident occurred. This included ordering a drink at Costa in Newhaven and going for breakfast with Chloe, 30, at The Stonehouse restaurant in Peacehaven.

In a police interview, Martin admitted he "just flipped" following a heated row with 30 year old Chloe when he struck her over the head with a hammer then stabbed her to death.

He said that when 33 year old Josh arrived home shortly afterwards and saw him with the knife, Josh ran upstairs but he chased him and repeatedly stabbed him before strangling him to death.

Following the incident, Martin collected the couple's four children from school, taking them to Costa and McDonald's in Newhaven. He also discarded Chloe's mobile phone in nearby bushes. 

After returning the children to their grandmother’s house in Brighton, he then bought some beers from a shop in Whitehawk which he drank on the seafront before handing himself in to police.