A supporter of the TV series Dexter has been found guilty of the murder of two homeless individuals, whose bodies were dismembered and concealed in a wooded area. James Desborough, 40, was convicted of the killings of Claudio Aquilino, 57, and Daniel Coleman, 43, in Cornwall last year.
Desborough, a former builder, is currently serving a life sentence for strangling his prison cellmate, Steven Kempster, at HMP Exeter. This recent conviction now marks him as a serial killer, having taken the lives of three men in separate incidents within a five-month span.
Following a three-hour and 15-minute deliberation, a jury at Winchester Crown Court unanimously returned guilty verdicts on Tuesday. Desborough remained stoic as the verdicts were announced.
During the trial, it was revealed that Aquilino and Coleman had resided with Desborough at a homeless shelter previously, and the last time they were seen alive was in his company. Desborough, a robust individual standing at 5ft 10in and weighing nearly 18st, proceeded to use their funds for substance abuse post their disappearance.
The victims’ remains were found dismembered in Sticker Woods, near St Austell, where Desborough resided in a wooden cabin. Police discovered burnt bone fragments from Aquilino’s body and various body parts of Coleman in a nearby shallow grave.
Inside Desborough’s cabin, authorities found handwritten notes referencing a “Bug out list” and “Hostiles,” along with incriminating statements indicating his awareness of his violent tendencies. Desborough had also planned to leave the UK shortly before his arrest.
Desborough denied the murders, attributing the deaths to unfortunate circumstances and claiming he found Aquilino deceased and assisted Coleman in disposing of the body. Additionally, he insisted he stumbled upon Coleman’s lifeless body and resorted to dismembering it out of fear and drug possession issues.
Despite admitting to using the victims’ money for personal indulgence, Desborough asserted they were his friends. He had previously pleaded guilty to obstructing the lawful burial of the victims.
Desborough, a resident of Cornwall, has faced the consequences of his actions, as the court delivered a resounding verdict against him for the heinous crimes committed.
