Stepfather Admits Manslaughter of Stepdaughter, Husband in East Sussex Home

Derek Martin, 67, has admitted to the manslaughter of his stepdaughter Chloe Bashford, 30, and her husband Josh, 33, in a violent attack at their home in Newhaven, East Sussex. On June 9, 2023, Martin, who had been feeling used and was in debt, attacked Chloe with a hammer and stabbed her multiple times, then ambushed and killed Josh with a knife and ligature shortly after he arrived home from work. Following the murders, Martin calmly picked up the couple's four children from school, took them to a coffee shop and fast food restaurant, then dropped them off with their grandmother before surrendering himself to police. Court proceedings reveal Martin's claim of diminished responsibility, citing an abnormality of mental functioning, while prosecutors emphasized the quick succession and brutality of the attacks. Despite no longer being in a relationship with Chloe's mother, Martin maintained a close relationship with his stepdaughter, who considered him her stepdad. The case highlights Martin's longstanding feelings of being exploited financially by the couple, to whom he had lent thousands of pounds and done numerous favors.