A High Court judge has set a fresh trial date for a Brighton man who killed a married couple at their home in Newhaven.
Derek Martin, 66, has admitted that he killed Chloe Bashford and Joshua Bashford, known as Josh, in June 2023 but has denied murder.
Martin was not present for a remote hearing at Hove Crown this morning (Friday 21 February) before Dame Justine Thornton, known as Mrs Justice Thornton.
At a previous hearing at Lewes Crown Court, Martin, of The Orchards, in Moulsecoomb Way, Brighton, answered the charge by saying: “Not guilty to murder. Guilty to manslaughter.”
Martin is expected to rely on a defence that he killed the couple when his responsibility was diminished as a result of his mental state at the time.
The bodies of Josh Bashford, 33, and 30-year-old Chloe were found at their home, in Lewes Road, Newhaven, on Friday 9 June 2023.
Martin, also known as Derek Glenn, is now due to go on trial on Monday 6 October, with the trial expected to last for two weeks.
The defendant, currently of Broadmoor Hospital, in Crowthorne, Berkshire, remains remanded in custody.
That psycho needs banging up for life
There is no way DR will stick, surely. The man broke into the home, any reasonable person could see what would happen… He walked into the police station and TOLD them what he’d done, before their bodies were even found. And yet claims to be not capable of responsibility or sanity?
If DR sticks on this one, our justice system is screwed.
Your comment is irrelevant!! Just remember regardless of what happened he has family and it’s not nice for them to be seeing things like this!! Yes what he did is wrong but we can’t argue with him being medically insane because that’s not our place!
They know exactly what he did and are just as disgusted as the rest of us .
And at no point did I say it’s not disgusting, it is but he has family that have to read this and it’s not nice!!
The photo was taken a day after arrest by the way… looks a lot better than two people who’ve lost their lives.
Exactly! His family have disowned him and I don’t blame them.
As I’m his family I haven’t disowned him so that’s incorrect!! You can see in the photo he doesn’t look with it and that’s never how he looked!!
The increased number of murders and manslaughter due to mental conditions must be dealt with by the return of the DP. Lawyers are using this defence far too quickly.
Justice system in this country is a joke, murdering scum treated better than the victims and families, no justice, no closure, playing the system, wish more could be done!