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Derek Martin Jailed for Life With 29-Year Minimum for Murders of Chloe and Josh Bashford

A jury rejected his diminished-responsibility plea after hearing the attacks were driven by 'rage and resentment'.

Overview

  • Mrs Justice Justine Thornton KC handed down the sentence at Brighton Law Courts following Martin’s October murder convictions.
  • Prosecutors said Martin attacked Chloe with a hammer and knife before ambushing Josh minutes later and killing him with stab wounds and a ligature.
  • After the killings, Martin collected the couple’s four children, met them at Costa and McDonald’s, took them to their grandmother’s, then confessed to police.
  • Investigators detailed efforts to alter the scene and hide evidence, including washing a knife, removing door handles and disposing of Chloe’s phone, which was later recovered after Martin provided its location in a note.
  • Martin had admitted manslaughter but denied murder citing mental health, while victim impact statements described lasting trauma for the family and the orphaned children now in relatives’ care.