Three teens charged with murder after Leysdown-on-Sea beach assault

A man in his late forties died after an altercation on a Kent seaside resort beach, an incident investigators say involved a violent assault near Leysdown-on-Sea on the Isle of Sheppey. Three teenagers—two boys, aged 14 and 15, and a 16-year-old girl, all from London—have been charged with murder by joint enterprise and appeared in court this week. They were remanded to youth detention and are due to appear at Maidstone Crown Court in the coming days. A 12-year-old girl arrested in Basildon, Essex, in connection with the incident remains in custody as officers continue inquiries.

The assault took place on Sunday evening in the Wardens Bay area, near a holiday stretch along Warden Bay Road. Police said the victim, Alexander Cashford, 49, sustained multiple injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene after responders were dispatched shortly after 7pm. Prosecutors have stated that the attack involved a glass bottle and rocks being thrown during a disturbance involving a small group of people. The exact manner of death remains the subject of ongoing investigation, with officials saying the cause is currently inconclusive and that a medical episode such as a cardiac event could...