In one of Britain’s most disturbing double murder cases in recent memory, a 67-year-old man from Brighton calmly collected four young children from school and treated them to fast food — all within hours of brutally killing their parents. Derek Martin, who was once married to the children’s grandmother, was found guilty of murdering 30-year-old Chloe Bashford and her husband, 33-year-old Josh Bashford, in their Newhaven home in June 2023. The case shocked both investigators and the public, not only for its savagery but for the chilling composure Martin displayed afterward, taking the children out for a McDonald’s and Costa coffee stop before handing himself in to police later that day.
A Violent Outburst Over a Petty Dispute
The tragic events unfolded on June 9, 2023, when Derek Martin visited the Bashford family home on Lewes Road in Newhaven, East Sussex. Martin, who had once been married to Chloe’s mother, had maintained an uneasy relationship with the family. According to police reports and court testimony, tensions between him and Chloe had been mounting over financial disagreements. That morning, Derek Martin claimed he was at the property cleaning a window when an argument erupted. He later told officers that he “just flipped,” a phrase that would become central to his failed legal defense.
Investigators pieced together a sequence of events that began with Martin striking Chloe repeatedly over the head with a hammer. He then stabbed her multiple times, killing her in a brutal attack that police described as “vicious and sustained.” Moments later, Josh arrived home and was confronted with a horrifying scene — Martin still holding the weapon. Realizing the danger, Josh ran upstairs in an attempt to flee, but Martin pursued him and launched a second fatal attack, stabbing and strangling the young father to death.
Detectives later determined that Martin’s actions were deliberate and methodical, rejecting his later claims of diminished responsibility due to a depressive disorder. Far from being overcome by sudden emotion, the evidence showed that Martin made a series of calculated decisions after the killings, attempting to conceal his crimes and manipulate the children’s understanding of what had happened.
Chilling Calm: The McDonald’s Outing After Murder
What Martin did next left investigators and the public stunned. Instead of contacting emergency services or confessing immediately, he changed his clothes to remove any trace of blood and drove to the local school to collect the couple’s four children, all of whom were under the age of ten. The children, unaware of the horror that had just taken place in their home, were told by Martin that their parents had been arguing and that everything would be fine.
CCTV footage obtained from businesses in Newhaven captured the killer leading the children to Costa Coffee and then to a McDonald’s restaurant. In the haunting images, Martin can be seen sitting at a table with the children, appearing calm and composed, eating alongside them as though nothing had happened. Police later described the footage as “deeply unsettling,” a glimpse into the mind of a man capable of extraordinary composure in the immediate aftermath of extreme violence.
Derek Martin has been found guilty of murdering Chloe Bashford, 30, and her 33-year-old husband Joshua in their Newhaven home.
— BBC Sussex (@BBCSussex) October 24, 2025
Martin, 67, admitted hitting Ms Bashford with a hammer and stabbing her, and stabbing then strangling Mr Bashford.
More here: https://t.co/F0kmGPzBHJ pic.twitter.com/IB7BZ33LKM
As part of his efforts to cover his tracks, Derek Martin was also recorded disposing of Chloe’s mobile phone in bushes near a Sainsbury’s supermarket. He then drove the children to Brighton, returning them to their grandmother’s home before purchasing beer from a local shop in Whitehawk. Witnesses reported seeing him drinking alone on the seafront before he finally walked into a police station and confessed to the killings.
Surveillance footage from the station shows Derek Martin calmly approaching the front desk and stating, “I’ve killed two people.” Officers who responded to the Bashford home later confirmed that both victims were found dead at the scene, their children safe but soon to be told of their unimaginable loss.
The Trial and the Rejection of the Diminished Responsibility Defense
Following his arrest, Derek Martin was charged with two counts of murder and remanded in custody pending trial. During the investigation, he provided varying accounts of his mental state, claiming that he had suffered from depression and had “lost control” during an argument. His defense team argued that he was not fully responsible for his actions, citing psychiatric assessments that suggested diminished responsibility due to a depressive disorder.
However, prosecutors from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) presented a detailed reconstruction of events that contradicted Martin’s narrative. They highlighted his actions after the murders — changing clothes, collecting the children, disposing of evidence, and fabricating explanations — as clear indications of awareness and intent. Far from acting in a dissociative state, Derek Martin had demonstrated calculated reasoning and self-control throughout the day.
The jury at Lewes Crown Court heard testimony from five psychiatrists, each of whom examined Martin’s mental state. While some initially supported the diminished responsibility claim, further scrutiny revealed inconsistencies between his account and the objective evidence. Prosecutor Marko Brooke of the CPS emphasized that Derek Martin’s behavior showed “the presence of mind to clean up the scene, protect the children from discovering the bodies, and hand himself in after carefully managing his affairs.”
After three weeks of deliberation and evidence presentation, the jury unanimously found Derek Martin guilty on both counts of murder. His conviction was seen as a critical affirmation that psychological distress, however genuine, cannot justify deliberate acts of lethal violence. The verdict was met with visible emotion from members of the victims’ family, who had endured over a year of waiting for justice to be served.
Detective Chief Inspector Kimball Edey, who led the investigation for the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team, commended the family’s strength and composure throughout the trial. “It goes without saying how sorry I am that they have had to suffer the loss of Chloe and Josh,” he said. “The courage and resilience they have shown, particularly in supporting the investigation and trial, have been extraordinary. This verdict cannot undo what happened, but I hope it brings some measure of closure.”
Martin was remanded in custody pending sentencing, which is scheduled for November 6. He faces a mandatory life sentence and, given the nature of the crime, is expected to serve the remainder of his life behind bars.
The Aftermath: A Family Torn Apart
The consequences of Derek Martin’s actions extend far beyond the courtroom. Four young children, robbed of their parents in an act of senseless brutality, now face the lifelong trauma of understanding what happened on that June afternoon. In the immediate aftermath, family members stepped in to provide care and stability, though the psychological toll on the children remains profound.
During the investigation, officers revealed that Derek Martin had attempted to make sure the children would not find the bodies upon returning home by removing the door handles from the rooms where Chloe and Josh lay dead. This chilling detail underscored the extent of his awareness and planning even after committing the murders.
The Crown Prosecution Service later noted the extraordinary patience of the Bashford family during the lengthy legal process. The involvement of multiple psychiatric experts had extended the trial timeline, forcing relatives to relive their grief for over a year before a verdict was reached. In his statement following the conviction, prosecutor Marko Brooke expressed his gratitude to the family: “We are tremendously thankful for their patience and support during this terrible time. We hope today’s verdict brings them some small comfort.”
Detective Edey also praised the professionalism of the investigative team, acknowledging the hundreds of hours spent analyzing forensic evidence, reviewing CCTV, and coordinating psychiatric evaluations. He credited members of the public who came forward with crucial information, particularly concerning Derek Martin’s movements between the time of the killings and his eventual surrender.
The community of Newhaven, a quiet coastal town in East Sussex, was left deeply shaken by the murders. Neighbours described the Bashfords as a “kind and loving couple” who were devoted to their children and active in local life. In the weeks following the crime, residents gathered to hold vigils and fundraisers to support the children’s care. The home where the killings occurred remains a painful symbol of the tragedy that shattered the town’s peace.
As Britain reflects on the case, it stands as a grim reminder of how domestic tensions and unresolved disputes can escalate to catastrophic violence. Forensic psychologists observing the trial have pointed to the case as a chilling example of post-offence behavior that defies typical patterns of remorse or panic. Martin’s decision to engage in ordinary social activity — taking children for fast food and coffee while their parents’ bodies lay lifeless — has been cited as an extreme form of psychological detachment and control.
Legal experts also note that the rejection of Martin’s diminished responsibility defense underscores the judiciary’s insistence on accountability, even in cases involving mental health claims. While the law recognizes mental disorders as legitimate mitigating factors, the threshold for diminished responsibility remains high, requiring proof that the condition substantially impaired judgment or self-control at the time of the offense. In Martin’s case, the evidence demonstrated clear intent and awareness, leading to a full conviction for murder.
As the date of sentencing approaches, the Bashford family continues to rebuild their lives amid enduring grief. Their loss, compounded by the betrayal of someone once connected to their family, remains unfathomable. The children, now in the care of relatives, face years of emotional healing and professional support to process the trauma. For investigators and prosecutors, the case stands as one of the most disturbing and psychologically complex domestic killings in recent British history.
Derek Martin’s actions on that summer day — his sudden explosion of violence, followed by calculated calm and deceit — reveal the chilling capacity of human cruelty cloaked in composure. His conviction ensures he will never again walk free, but for the Bashford family and the wider community, the emotional scars of his crime will endure far longer than any prison sentence.
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