A UK court has found James Desborough, 40, guilty of murdering his two roommates before dismembering their bodies and attempting to dispose of their remains in woodland in Cornwall.
The victims, Daniel Coleman, 43, and Claudio Aquilino, 57, had met Desborough while staying at a homeless accommodation centre in Newquay. Prosecutors said the killings took place between April and June 2025.
Following the murders, Desborough cut up the victims’ bodies at his cabin in Paramoor Woods, near Sticker, before attempting to burn and bury the remains. The court heard he also stole money from the victims and used one victim’s bank card after the killings.
A jury at Winchester Crown Court found Desborough guilty of murdering Aquilino between April 17 and July 7, 2025, and Coleman between June 2 and July 7, 2025. He had previously pleaded guilty to preventing the lawful burial of both men.
During the trial, prosecutors revealed that Desborough had sent messages to a friend describing himself as “bloodthirsty” around the time Aquilino disappeared. Evidence also showed he had threatened Coleman days before his death following a dispute involving Coleman’s partner.
Investigators later discovered Coleman’s torso, legs and feet buried in a shallow grave. His DNA was found on an axe recovered nearby. Aquilino’s grave was located about 18 metres away, while police also recovered around 1,900 burnt bone fragments belonging to him, along with human tissue found in a nearby stream.
Police searching Desborough’s woodland cabin also uncovered handwritten notes, including one stating, “I know I’m a killer.” Other notes outlined plans to leave the United Kingdom, mentioning items such as disguises, burner phones, a safe house and references to buried bodies.
Prosecutors told the court Desborough was a fan of the television series Dexter, which follows a serial killer who dismembers his victims. A forensic biologist testified that Desborough admitted he particularly enjoyed the show’s dismemberment scenes.
While awaiting trial for the double murder, Desborough was separately convicted of murdering his 65-year-old cellmate, Steven Kempster, by strangulation at HMP Exeter.
During police interviews, Desborough claimed he had found the two men dead on his land and only attempted to conceal their bodies. He denied killing them, saying he had “lost all grip on reality.”
He will be sentenced at a later date.
