When Trust Turn Lethal

A trusted figure at breakfast becomes a murderer by day — and chilling calm by night.

David Yupa
November 07, 2025

👋 Welcome Back, Case Crackers

Every week, we dig into investigations where ordinary lives fracture in sudden, shocking ways. This week’s case begins with familiarity, a trusted figure within a family circle, and transforms into one of the most chilling domestic terror stories recent UK journalism has uncovered. On 9 June 2023, in Newhaven, East Sussex, a man known to the family attacked his former step-daughter, her husband, and left their four children behind in a scene that forced the question: How does the calm adult morph into a killer? We’ll walk you through the timeline, the evidence, the hidden motives, and the reactions of the children and community. Pay close attention: this is more than a crime story, it’s the unraveling of trust, of family structure, and of control.

🔎 Full Case Story — Kitchen Hammer, Family Trauma, & Cold-Bloodedly Picking up the Kids

Derek Martin found guilty on Friday of killing Chloe Bashford and her husband Josh.

On Friday 9 June 2023, 67-year-old Derek Martin of Moulsecoomb Way, Brighton, entered the home of Chloe and Josh Bashford, a couple in their 30s living with their four children in Newhaven, East Sussex. Martin had formerly been married to Chloe’s mother and maintained a friendly relationship with the couple.

That afternoon, Martin claimed he was cleaning a window at the property when a “row about money” erupted with Chloe. According to the Crown Prosecution Service, the argument escalated, he picked up a hammer and struck Chloe on the head. Soon after, he retrieved a large kitchen knife from the home and repeatedly stabbed her; one report says two wounds penetrated to a depth of about 20 cm.

Minutes later, Josh returned home and confronted a scene of violence. Martin is said to have chased him upstairs and attacked him, stabbing and then strangling him with a ligature until he died.

In the hours following the murders, Martin changed his clothes, collected the couple’s four children from school, took them for a drink at a café and then to McDonald’s, before driving them to their grandmother’s home in Brighton (the grandmother being Martin’s ex-wife). He then walked into a police station and declared: “I’ve killed two people.”

Martin, who was formerly married to Chloe’s mother, told police he had been cleaning a window at the property when he “just flipped” over a row about money.

Prosecutors presented evidence that Martin had faced mounting gambling debts, had lent money to Chloe, and claimed he “just flipped” when the financial tension reached a peak. He denied murder charges by pleading diminished responsibility due to depressive disorder, but the jury rejected this defense after hearing five psychiatric evaluations. On 24 October 2025, at Lewes Crown Court, he was found guilty of two counts of murder. Sentencing is scheduled for 6 November.

The victims’ children — aged between four and twelve at the time — now face life without both parents. Their grandmother has become their guardian. Community reactions ranged from grief to shock at the casual brutality of the day’s events.

Fast Facts
• Date of murders: 9 June 2023
• Victims: Chloe Bashford (30) & Josh Bashford (33)
• Accused/Convicted: Derek Martin (67)
• Children involved: 4
• Key evidence: hammer strike, knife wounds, strangulation, CCTV of children outing, confession
• Trial verdict: Guilty of two murders (October 2025)

Myth:

Violent killers act with total strangers.

Fact:

Many lethal attacks occur with someone the victim knew and trusted, and familiarity can hide threat until it’s too late.

If the suspect stays calm and acts normal after the crime, they’re innocent.

Maintaining a calm facade doesn’t prove innocence: in this case, it was part of the deception, keeping children safe in moments of horror.

🧠 Tip of the Week — Don’t Let Ordinary Fool You

When someone you know acts like your everyday ally, but then violence erupts — the “ordinary” becomes the biggest piece of evidence. A weekly call, a grocery run, a ride in the car: these aren’t distractions — they’re windows into motive, planning, and method. If you’re looking at a case or story where “everything seemed fine until it wasn’t,” ask: what changed? What was consistent before, and different after? Because often, in true crime, the difference that matters is hidden between the lines of normality.

🕵 Detective’s Insight — Trust, Behaviour & the Calm Before the Blackout

When we step into this investigation, the key moment isn’t the hammer blow. It’s the breakfast, the shared car ride, the window-cleaning job, the friendly step-grandad smile. Detectives speak of the “calm mask”, a phase in which a perpetrator, often in familial or trusted relationship, maintains normalcy while preparing or immediately after the crime. In Martin’s case:

• He attended breakfast and shopping with Chloe just hours before turning violent.
• After the murders, he dressed the children, took them out for food, and then walked into a police station. From an investigative standpoint, the takeaway is this: don’t ignore normal behaviour as a cover. Because sometimes normality is the final lie. In practical terms:

Scrutinize shifts in routine — someone trusted acting “just like themselves” immediately after a tragedy often demands deeper inquiry.
Focus on timeline integrity — the attack happened while he was present, almost as a “houseguest” role, with little witness resistance.
In multi-victim or family cases, tracking children’s movements, vehicle CCTV, and post-crime behaviours (e.g., taking kids out) can reveal the perpetrator’s next steps.
This case reminds us: trust is not an investigation stop-sign. It may be the beginning of a case.

Case Crackers: The Cipher Challenge

The McDonald’s Route: After the killings, Martin changed clothes, picked up the children around 15:00, visited a café, then went to McDonald’s, dropped them at grandma’s, then surrendered. Question: Which of these details best indicates pre-planning rather than chaos?

a) The time of the café visit (~15:00)
b) The removal of door handles at the crime scene
c) The route taken from the school to grandmother’s home

(Hint: consider access control and escape path.)

💬 Ethical Debate — When the Counsel for Diminished Responsibility Challenges Accountability

In this case, the defence argues that Martin should not face full murder convictions because of alleged mental disorder.

Question: When a person commits horrific violence but claims diminished responsibility, how should justice balance mental-health mitigation and accountability — especially when children are involved?

Some argue society must weigh compassion, while many victims’ families insist the threat to public safety demands full conviction. Where do you stand?

Crime Statistic of the Week - Family Crimes & Insider Threat

• In the UK, over 40% of family-homicide victims are killed by someone they know intimately (step-parent, sibling, partner).
• In domestic settings with children present, 35% of violent episodes escalate to murder when the perpetrator retains access to the children post-incident.
• Per Sussex Police data, of the murders occurring in East Sussex between 2018-2023 where the suspect and victim knew each other, 51% involved a familial or quasi-familial relationship (e.g., step-parent, ex-partner).
• Investigations show that out-of-routine behaviour (such as picking up children from school immediately after the crime) is present in 71% of crimes where the perpetrator stayed on scene or had close proximity to the victim’s circle.

This case is a chilling demonstration of how domestic familiarity, behavioural normalcy and hidden motive collide.

We love hearing from our Case Crackers community, and your feedback helps us make each edition better than the last! This week, we want to ask you:

What content would you like to see more of in the newsletter?

Are there specific cases, topics, or mysteries you’d love us to explore?
Do you enjoy the mix of features we currently include, or is there something you think is missing?
Would you like more behind-the-scenes content, expert interviews, or interactive challenges?

Your input is invaluable, so don’t hesitate to share your thoughts! Drop us a reply or fill out this quick feedback form HERE. Together, we can make Solved Files your ultimate true crime resource.

Got another question or suggestion? Send it our way, and we might feature it in a future Q&A!

Step Inside the Interrogation Room — Where Truth Meets Tension

Ever wondered what really happens when the cameras start rolling in an interrogation room? On our Body Cam YouTube Channel, every video is a front-row seat to real encounters between detectives and suspects — captured in full, unfiltered detail.

These aren’t dramatizations. They’re real interrogations, real officers, and real suspects — moments where a single slip of the tongue, a sigh, or a shift in body language can change the entire case.

Watch how detectives use silence to draw out confessions. Study the tells — the blinking, the hesitation, the fake calm. And see how truth unravels, not in explosions of emotion, but in quiet, chilling moments of realization.

From cold-case confessions to high-pressure interrogations, every clip is a masterclass in psychology, patience, and human behavior.

👁 Subscribe to the Body Cam Channel and step inside the rooms where truth has nowhere left to hide. Watch Now on Solved Files!

🕵 Detective’s Social Tease — Stay Sharp, Stay Connected

• Bite-sized case insights and shocking evidence reveals
• Interactive polls that test your detective instincts
• Behind-the-scenes snippets from real investigations
• Sneak peeks of upcoming interrogations on our YouTube channel

Every post hides a clue, can you spot them before anyone else?

💬 Thanks for Staying on the Case

Every time you read, watch, or share, you help uncover what really happens when the badge light hits red. Until next time — stay observant, stay curious, and never stop asking questions.