Chilling footage has emerged showing Derek Martin taking the children of Chloe and Josh Bashford out for McDonald’s after he had murdered their parents at their Newhaven, East Sussex home in June 2023.
The 67-year-old, previously married to Chloe’s mother, admitted to police that he “just flipped” over a dispute about money. He struck 30-year-old Chloe with a hammer before stabbing her to death. Her husband Josh, 33, was later chased upstairs, stabbed repeatedly, and strangled.
After the killings, Martin calmly changed clothes, picked up the couple’s four children from school, and took them on outings to Costa and McDonald’s. CCTV also captured him disposing of Chloe’s mobile phone in nearby bushes, while he told the children their parents had merely argued and removed door handles to prevent them from discovering the bodies.
Martin later returned the children to their grandmother’s home, bought alcohol, and eventually handed himself into police, admitting, “I’ve killed two people.”
At Lewes Crown Court, Martin admitted causing the deaths but claimed diminished responsibility due to depression. A jury rejected this defence, finding him guilty of two counts of murder. He is due to be sentenced on November 6.
Detective Chief Inspector Kimball Edey praised the courage of Chloe and Josh’s children and extended gratitude to the public and police for their support in the investigation. Marko Brooke from the Crown Prosecution Service described Martin’s actions as deliberate and calculated, noting he had ensured the children did not find out about their parents’ deaths before surrendering to authorities.
