A 17-year-old has been jailed for life for the murder of 16-year-old Joshua Ingram by stabbing him twice at Seaford railway station over a £20 drug debt.
The killer, whose identity remains protected by law, was ordered to be detained “during His Majesty’s pleasure” for a minimum of 14 years.
The judge, Sir Charles Bourne, known as Mr Justice Bourne, said that the boy, who was 16 when he murdered Josh Ingram, had adopted a “faux gangster persona” influenced by online videos and music.
The judge said that the teen killer stabbed Josh with a 19cm (7in) blade which he had hidden in his tracksuit bottoms on platform 2 at the station Wednesday 10 September 2025.
The boy pleaded guilty to manslaughter but, after a trial at Hove Crown Court, a jury convicted him of murder and he was sentenced at the same court today (Friday 2 October). He also admitted having a knife in public.
Barrister Sasha Queffurus read a statement in court on behalf of Josh’s mother, Yvette Bullen. She pleaded with other young people not to carry knives and to report those who did.
Mrs Bullen described her son, saying: “Kind, caring, cheeky, loveable rogue, great friend, goofball but also challenging and a little sod – all the traits that made Josh, Josh.”
He was, she added: “A young person with hopes, dreams and the future. Josh was loved. His life mattered and ours will never be the same again.”
Mrs Bullen said: “As his mother I live with guilt every day. On the Friday before, Josh had asked me for £20 and I said no. That’s a parenting decision I will regret for the rest of my life.”
She described seeing her son, who was training to be a bricklayer, taken away on a stretcher after the attack.
She was only able to give him a kiss on the forehead after he died because he was a “crime scene”.
Calling for her son’s death to send a message to others to prevent knife crime, she said: “His life was worth so much more than £20.
“I hope this vicious, senseless act makes others think before carrying a knife and, as for others, if you know someone is carrying one, report it rather than assisting them, because this could have been prevented if someone had spoken up.”
Rossano Scamardello, prosecuting, had told jurors that the young killer was a “small-time drug dealer” who supplied Josh, from Newhaven, with drugs in the summer of 2025 but had not been paid for them.
During the trial, some of the young murderer’s Snapchat messages and WhatsApp were read out in court.
He wrote: “Josh will perish if I don’t get my fucking money, that’s a fact and he knows this.
“I’m ready to sit in a prison cell for 30 years over a £20 sheet.”
Mr Justice Bourne said: “Joshua Ingram was a popular young man with all his life before him.
“It seems that Josh Ingram owed you about £20. That, of course, cannot begin to explain what you did. It would not provide even the smallest excuse for hurting someone, let alone for attacking them with a large knife.”
Colin Aylott, defending, said that the defendant had been influenced online leading him to adopt a “faux gangster persona”, adding: “Influence online led to the adoption of this rather disturbing language and disturbing persona.
“It was all rather pathetic and reflects the immaturity of the defendant.”
He added that the defendant was a “young man who immediately recognised the gravity of what he has done and then tried in every way he can to start on the road to rehabilitation”.
The judge imposed a one-year youth rehabilitation order on two boys, 17 and 15, for assisting an offender after they tried to help the killer dispose of his knife and bloody clothes.
The identity of both boys is protected by law. One of them admitted the offence and the other denied it but was convicted at trial.
The judge is due to hear applications in the coming fortnight to lift reporting restrictions that protect the identity of the young killer until he turns 18 next year.
The court was told that British Transport Police (BTP) and Sussex Police officers responded to reports of a stabbing at Seaford railway station at around 5pm on Wednesday 10 September 2025.
Paramedics also attended and found Josh seriously injured. Despite their best efforts, he was pronounced dead a short time later.
The boy who was subsequently convicted of his murder was arrested at his home in Seaford around 40 minutes later and taken into custody.
BTP detectives began investigating immediately, securing witness statements, forensically examining the boy’s phone and reviewing CCTV.
Footage captured the moment the boy spotted Josh in Seaford town centre as he walked with a friend after finishing college.
He ran across the road and followed Josh into the station where he stabbed him rapidly twice from behind with the 7in hunting knife before fleeing.
Josh was completely blindsided and unaware of the boy’s presence. He was critically injured and collapsed on the platform just moments later. His friend and a member of the public tried to help but his injuries were too severe.
On examining the suspect’s phone, officers found WhatsApp messages showing that he and Josh knew each other and that the boy was irate over the small amount owed for some cannabis.
Officers established that the killer dropped the knife and clothing in a bag to the 17-year-old boy at his home almost immediately after the incident.
About two hours later, the 17-year-old and 15-year-old went to try to dispose of the items but instead handed the bag to passing officers from Sussex Police.
The senior investigating officer, Detective Chief Inspector Paul Stanley, from the BTP, said: “Today’s sentencing is the conclusion of a deeply tragic case. Though we have seen justice served, there will be no celebration for Joshua Ingram’s family as they continue to mourn their devastating loss.
“Joshua’s life was tragically cut short in an attack that can only be described as vicious and cowardly.
“Our investigation proved that the defendant had messaged extensively about harming Joshua as a result of a petty debt for about £20 of cannabis. In court, he attempted to dismiss these messages as sheer bravado and fantasy. But following a chance meeting on that fateful day, he put his talk into action taking Joshua’s life from a singular blow with a large knife he routinely carried.
“I would like to thank my officers for their exceptional hard work and dedication on behalf of Joshua’s family. I would also like to thank our colleagues at Sussex Police, the Crown Prosecution Service, and the local authority for their invaluable support.”
In a statement issued on the defendant’s conviction, Joshua’s family said: “While today’s verdict brings a measure of justice to our family, it will never bring Josh back and no sentence, however long, will ever replace the precious life that was stolen from him or heal the devastating loss to our family.
“He was a kind-hearted lad, many would agree a cheeky chappie who touched the lives in so many ways of those who knew and loved him.
“This isn’t a day for celebration. It’s a day for reflection as we remember Josh for the young man that he was and not for the way and reasons his life was ended.
“We hope Josh’s story serves as a reminder of the devasting consequences of knife crime.”
