A man has been found guilty of murdering his stepdaughter and her husband after a violent altercation over money led to a brutal attack. Derek Martin, now facing a life sentence, bludgeoned Chloe Bashford with a hammer and then fatally stabbed her multiple times. He waited for her husband, Josh, to return home and proceeded to stab and strangle him to death before calmly picking up their four children from school.
Martin later turned himself in to the police, confessing to the killings but claiming he was suffering from a mental disorder. The jury at Brighton Law Courts deliberated for over five hours before reaching a guilty verdict. Despite Martin’s previous relationship with the victims’ family, he resorted to extreme violence during a dispute over a loan.
The court heard that Martin had previously helped the victims financially but became enraged when the repayment schedule was not met. The altercation turned deadly when Martin attacked Chloe and later her husband upon his return home. After committing the crimes, Martin took the children for a meal before handing them over to their grandmother and surrendering to the authorities.
Throughout the trial, Martin maintained that his actions were influenced by his mental health condition, despite the jury’s decision to convict him of murder. The 67-year-old showed no visible emotion during the court proceedings. The sentencing is scheduled for November, where Martin is likely to receive a life imprisonment term.