A 17-year-old has been jailed for at least 14 years after fatally stabbing 16-year-old Joshua Ingram at Seaford railway station on 10 September 2025, over a £20 cannabis debt. The attacker used a 19cm combat-style knife bought online and had sent threatening Snapchat messages beforehand. The judge said the defendant had adopted a "gangster personality" and treated the knife as an "accessory." Two other teenagers received youth rehabilitation orders for assisting an offender, and a decision on lifting the killer's anonymity will be made later.
Teen Jailed For Minimum 14 Years After Fatal Stabbing Over £20 Drug Debt
The teenager attacked Joshua Ingram, pictured, at Seaford railway station [Family handout]
A 17-year-old has been sentenced to a minimum of 14 years in custody after fatally stabbing 16-year-old Joshua Ingram at Seaford railway station in East Sussex on 10 September 2025. Prosecutors say the attack arose from a dispute over a £20 cannabis debt and involved a 19cm (7.5 inch) combat-style knife bought online.
Judge's Remarks
At Hove Crown Court, Mr Justice Bourne told the defendant: "You know what you did was utterly appalling. Josh was a popular young man with his life in front of him. He did nothing to deserve having his life taken away." The judge said the teenager treated the knife as an "accessory, something to boast about" and had adopted a "sort of gangster personality."
"Perhaps it made you feel like a big man? What this demonstrates is that the knife was horribly dangerous. It took Josh's life away, and your life."
Events And Evidence
The court heard that in June 2025 the attacker sent threatening Snapchat messages, using profanity and homophobic language, claiming Joshua owed him "a £20 sheet" and warning "Josh will perish" if the debt was not paid. The killing was described by the judge as impulsive; the defendant had previously admitted an alternative charge of manslaughter.
Joshua Ingram's family stood on the steps outside Hove Crown Court as Det Chief Insp Paul Stanley read a statement on their behalf [Charlie Rose/ BBC]
Impact On Family
In a victim impact statement read to the court, Joshua's mother, Yvette Bullen, said: "We are the ones who will suffer the life sentence." She described seeing her son laid out "on a stretcher" after the attack and later in the back of an ambulance with monitoring wires still attached. "We couldn't even touch him. He was a crime scene," she said.
Investigation And Sentencing Outcome
Detective Chief Inspector Paul Stanley, who led the inquiry, said that while "justice" has been served, "there will be no celebration for Joshua Ingram's family as they continue to mourn their devastating loss." Two other teenagers, aged 17 and 15, were given youth rehabilitation orders with one year of supervision after being convicted of assisting an offender. Applications from the press to lift the defendant's anonymity will be considered at a later date.
Sentence: The defendant must serve a minimum term of 14 years in custody and will remain on licence for the rest of his life.
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