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James Desborough has been convicted of the murders of two men he encountered at a homeless shelter. The 40-year-old from Old Oak Woods, Lower Sticker, Cornwall, was found guilty at Winchester Crown Court of killing 57-year-old Claudio Aquilino and 43-year-old Daniel Coleman. The court was told that he dismembered their bodies, attempted to burn the remains, and concealed them in woodland near a cabin he owned in Sticker. Sentencing for Desborough is scheduled for Wednesday.
Earlier this year, Desborough was also convicted of murdering his cellmate, Steven Kempster, in Exeter Prison while awaiting trial for the killings of Aquilino and Coleman. He received a life sentence with a minimum term of 19 years for that offense. The timeline presented to the court indicated that Aquilino was last seen alive on 18 April 2025, and Coleman on 3 June 2025. Both victims struggled with serious addictions and were captured on pub CCTV in Newquay and Truro in the company of Desborough shortly before their disappearances.
Further evidence revealed that Desborough travelled to London Paddington station in late April to withdraw money from Aquilino’s bank account, despite prosecutors stating that Aquilino was already dead by then. Aquilino regularly contacted his mother by phone, but communication ceased before Desborough’s trip. Police eventually discovered the victims’ remains in Cornish woodland, including 1,900 burned bone fragments believed to be Aquilino’s and parts of Coleman’s dismembered body buried in a shallow grave. The extent of burning and mutilation left experts unable to determine the exact causes of death.
Detective Superintendent Rachael Bentley described the killings as “callous and cold-blooded,” emphasizing the vulnerability of both men, who had trusted Desborough as a friend before he took their lives and desecrated their bodies. She also acknowledged the dignified conduct of the victims’ families throughout the distressing investigation. After the verdict, Coleman’s family expressed their gratitude for those involved in securing justice, describing Dan as “a loving, caring and compassionate man.” Aquilino’s family conveyed their devastation at the violent nature of Claudio’s murder and the way his body was discarded, stating they had endured a profoundly saddening ordeal
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