Chilling footage shows man taking children to McDonald's after murdering their parents

Chilling CCTV footage has shown a man taking four children out for a McDonald's meal - just hours after he had murdered their parents. Derek Martin, 67, was found guilty on Friday of killing Chloe Bashford and her husband, Josh, at their home in Newhaven, East Sussex, in June 2023.

Martin, who had previously been married to Chloe's mother, told police he had been cleaning a window at the house when he "just flipped" during a row about money. According to Sussex Police, Martin attacked 30-year-old Chloe first, striking her over the head with a hammer before stabbing her to death. When 33-year-old Josh arrived home soon after and saw Martin holding a knife, he ran upstairs to escape - but Martin followed, stabbing and strangling him to death.

After the killings, Martin changed his clothes, collected the couple's four children from school, and took them out to Costa and McDonald's in Newhaven.

CCTV captured him leading the children around on the day out and later disposing of Chloe's mobile phone in bushes near a Sainsbury's store.

He told the children that their parents had been arguing, and removed all the door handles in the family home so that, if they returned, they would be unable to discover the bodies.

Martin then dropped the children off at their grandmother's house in Brighton, bought some beers from a shop in Whitehawk, and drank them on the seafront.

Shortly afterward, he walked into a police station and confessed, saying: "I've killed two people."

When officers went to the Bashfords' home, they found the couple's bodies and arrested Martin.

While on remand, he saw a police appeal and handed a handwritten note to a prison guard, confirming where he had thrown away Chloe's phone.

Martin admitted killing the pair but claimed diminished responsibility due to a depressive disorder.

After a three-week trial at Lewes Crown Court - which heard evidence from five psychiatrists - the jury rejected his defence and convicted him of two counts of murder.

He remains in custody and is due to be sentenced on November 6.

Team, said: "I would like to thank Chloe and Josh's children and their families for their patience during this investigation.

"It goes without saying how sorry I am that they have had to suffer the loss of Chloe and Josh, and I am in awe of the courage and strength they have shown following the events of 9 June 2023.

"The result today will, sadly, not change what happened, but I hope it allows them to close this chapter and move forward.
"I would also like to thank the members of the public who have supported this investigation.

"Finally, I commend the many staff and police officers who have worked tirelessly to bring Derek Martin to justice."

Marko Brooke, from the Crown Prosecution Service, added: "This has been an extremely challenging case to prosecute.

"Derek Martin's claim that he had 'lost it' when he killed Chloe and Josh did not match the evidence. He waited for Josh to come home and chased him upstairs before attacking him.

"Martin then calmly cleaned up the scene and made deliberate efforts to stop the children from discovering what had happened, before handing himself in and admitting what he had done.

"In cases like this, much of the evidence depends on psychiatric assessment.

"Extensive additional inquiries were needed to scrutinise the early conclusions of some experts who had suggested Martin might have a partial defence of diminished responsibility.

"This meant the case took a long time to reach trial, and we recognise the further distress that caused for Chloe and Josh's family and friends.

"We are extremely grateful for their patience and support during this horrific ordeal and hope today's verdict offers them at least some measure of comfort."