THIS is the moment a mum had breakfast with her stepdad just hours before he allegedly slaughtered her and her husband.
Chloe Bashford could be seen in footage played to jurors heading into a carvery restaurant in Peacehaven, East Sussex, with Derek Martin.
Chloe and Derek could be seen ordering breakfast together
PAJust hours later he allegedly murdered her and her husband Josh[/caption]
Eddie MitchellMartin then picked the couple’s four children up from school[/caption]
The mum-of-four, 30, had dropped her children off at school before 67-year-old Martin bought her breakfast, it was said.
He then drove stepdaughter Chloe to Sainsbury’s to pick up some shopping.
Just hours later, Martin bludgeoned Chloe with a hammer before knifing her multiple times, jurors heard.
When her husband Josh, 33, arrived home from work, Martin allegedly chased him up the stairs and stabbed him four times.
Martin then calmly picked up the couple’s four children, who called him “grandad”, from school and took them to Costa, it is said.
Lewes Crown Court heard he later made his way to a police station where he told officers: “I’ve murdered two people”.
Martin said he felt he was getting “used” by people all of the time and had got into a lot of debt.
On June 9, 2023, he was cleaning windows at Chloe’s Newhaven, East Sussex, home when he “flipped” after the mum began discussing money.
Julian Evans KC, prosecuting, said: “Chloe and Joshua were attacked and killed in quick succession. Both attacks took place inside their home address.
“Chloe was attacked first. When she was attacked, Chloe and Derek Martin were in the house together. Josh was not there. He was about to arrive at home.
“He attacked Chloe with a hammer. He hit her with the hammer on the top of her head. Then he went to the kitchen to retrieve a large knife. Having done so, he repeatedly stabbed Chloe with that knife causing severe injuries from which she died.
“He stabbed her eight times, to the upper back and to the abdomen. Two stab wounds penetrated to a depth of about 20cm. The knife caused severe injuries from which Chloe died.
“A few minutes later, at about 12:20, Josh arrived home. Just after he entered the house, Derek Martin attacked him.”
Jurors heard Martin attacked Josh first with a knife – stabbing him four times – before strangling him.
After the horror, the pensioner attempted to clean up the scene of the crime and changed his clothes, it was said.
He then picked up the four children – telling the eldest that his parents had a “big row” – before taking them to Costa Coffee.
Martin later drove the youngsters to his ex-wife Elaine Sturges’ house – Chloe’s mum – in Brighton and dropped them off.
The court heard although he had split with Elaine many years before, Chloe still referred to Martin as her stepdad.
Martin messaged Elaine: “Elaine I’m so sorry, I can’t believe what I’ve done, I know everyone hates me anyway especially the boys, I hate myself anyway and please, please look after the children really well.
“I’m just about to walk into the police station then that’s my days over and good job too, I know it’s going to mean nothing but I’m so sorry, don’t take the children home x.”
The following day in a police interview, Martin admitted he had killed Chloe and Josh and claimed he “just flipped” over money.
He said: “We were arguing about the flipping money, and I just went berserk.”
The court heard he had a gambling habit and had turned to burglary to raise money to help Josh and Chloe out.
Martin claimed he argued and had “a bit of a screaming match” with Chloe before the horror.
He said to her, “I want my f*****g money”. She said, “Well don’t bother with us anymore.”
The court heard when Josh came into the house, he began to shout, “Where’s Chloe?”
Martin told police: “I still had the knife in my hand. That was when I must have stabbed him, I don’t remember, there was too much shouting, it all happened so quick.”
When asked why he attacked him, Martin said: “Because he saw I had the knife in my hand, he was screaming, he came towards me and said where is f******g Chloe. I just lost it.”
Martin has pleaded guilty to manslaughter due to diminished responsibility but denies murder.
The trial continues.
The couple’s four children were left orphaned
The pair were discovered at home after Martin went to a police station, jurors heard Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
