Teen death at Seaford station shows 'consequences' of knives

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The death of a teenage boy is a "stark reminder of the catastrophic and irreversible consequences of carrying and using a knife", the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said.

Carla Harris, of the CPS, made the comment after a 16-year-old boy was convicted of murdering Joshua Ingram, who was fatally stabbed at Seaford railway station on September 10, 2025.

Joshua, 16, from Newhaven, suffered two stab wounds after being confronted on the station platform with a 19cm (7.5in) combat-style knife.

Ms Harris said: "No one should lose their life in such a tragic and senseless way."

She added that the defendant had "admitted manslaughter but denied intending to murder Joshua," and that "the CPS did not stand by and allow him to shirk responsibility" but instead "used all the evidence to prove the charge of murder".

Joshua Ingram was murdered, a court ruled today (Image: Sussex News and Pictures)

The court heard the attack, described by prosecutors as being "borne out of a trivial debt", stemmed from an unpaid £20 cannabis debt.

Jurors were told the defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had bought the knife online and hidden it in his tracksuit before travelling to Seaford, where he approached Joshua and a friend, asking "Is that Josh?" before stabbing him twice.

He told the jury he had not intended to cause serious harm, calling the incident a "tragic and reckless moment".

Two other teenagers, aged 15 and 17, stood trial alongside the defendant accused of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm with intent but were cleared of that charge.

The 15-year-old was found guilty of assisting an offender, an offence the 17-year-old had already admitted.

Concluding her statement, Ms Harris said: "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Joshua Ingram who have suffered an irreplaceable loss."

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