67-Year-Old Derek Martin Convicted of Murdering His Stepdaughter and Her Husband in Newhaven — Then Calmly Taking Their Children Out for McDonald’s After the Killings
There are few stories as disturbing and heartbreaking as this one from the quiet seaside town of Newhaven, East Sussex. Derek Martin, a 67-year-old man, has been found guilty of murdering his stepdaughter, 30-year-old Chloe Bashford, and her husband, 33-year-old Josh Bashford — before chillingly taking their children out for a McDonald’s meal, just moments after committing the crime.
The murders took place in June 2023, but the details revealed in court during his October 2025 trial have left the public stunned. Martin, who was once considered a trusted family figure, carried out a brutal attack inside the victims’ home, killing both Chloe and Josh. The court heard that he had used a hammer and knife during the assault, motivated by a long-standing grudge and irrational anger. After the killings, instead of fleeing or confessing, he calmly attempted to cover up what he had done — and then went to pick up the couple’s children from school.
Police say Martin removed the door handles from rooms in the house so the children wouldn’t discover their parents’ bodies. He then took them to a local McDonald’s in Newhaven, where CCTV later captured him sitting with the children, ordering food and behaving as if nothing had happened. Witnesses described the man as calm and collected, chatting with the kids while eating, creating what now feels like an almost surreal image of horror hiding beneath normalcy.
Hours later, Martin drove the children to their grandmother’s home in Brighton and left them there safely — still without saying a word about what had happened. It wasn’t until he arrived at a nearby police station that he confessed, telling officers, “I’ve killed two people.” He surrendered himself quietly, admitting to causing the deaths but later trying to claim diminished responsibility due to mental health struggles. The jury rejected that defense and found him guilty of two counts of murder.
During sentencing, prosecutors described Martin’s actions as “cold and calculated,” emphasizing how he maintained composure throughout the day, even as the children he had just orphaned sat across from him. His lack of immediate remorse and the deliberate decision to hide the truth from the kids made the case one of the most haunting in recent UK memory.
Chloe and Josh were remembered by family and friends as loving parents who adored their four children. Their son, Brooklyn, spoke during the proceedings, describing them as “perfect parents” and saying they were “the best you could ask for.” Their deaths left not only a family shattered, but an entire community grieving.
The case has also reignited discussions about family-related violence, trust, and the unseen warning signs that sometimes go unnoticed until it’s too late. Police and social workers in East Sussex have since praised the resilience of the children, who are now being cared for by relatives and receiving counseling support to help them process what happened.
For many, the most haunting part of this tragedy remains the image of that ordinary afternoon — the sight of Derek Martin standing in line at a McDonald’s, buying Happy Meals for children whose lives he had just destroyed. It’s a snapshot of cruelty disguised as calm, a reminder that evil doesn’t always come with noise or chaos. Sometimes, it walks quietly, blending into the everyday.
As justice is finally served, the hope now is for healing — for the four children who lost everything, and for a community left to piece together how something so horrific could unfold behind the closed doors of an ordinary family home.
