Fan of TV serial killer Dexter guilty of murdering two men
A fan of TV serial killer Dexter has been found guilty of murdering two homeless men whose bodies were dismembered and hidden in woodland before he killed his cellmate while awaiting trial.
James Desborough, 40, murdered Claudio Aquilino, 57, and Daniel Coleman, 43, before dismembering and hiding their bodies in Cornwall last year.
The former builder is already serving a life sentence after he strangled his prison cellmate, Steven Kempster, at HMP Exeter while on remand awaiting this trial because of his snoring.
The triple murderer is now a serial killer having killed three men in separate incidents over five months.
A jury at Winchester Crown Court returned the unanimous guilty verdicts on Tuesday after deliberating for three hours and 15 minutes.
Desborough, who has a beard, a receding hairline and wore glasses and a grey t-shirt, showed no reaction as the verdicts were returned.
Trial judge Mr Justice Saini said he did not require further reports and Desborough – known to friends as Des – would be sentenced on Wednesday afternoon.
“Mr Desborough is already a life sentence prisoner and Mr Desborough needs to be alive to the risk of a whole life term,” the judge said.
Referring to mitigation, Sean Brunton KC, defending, told the judge: “As I am sure My Lord is aware, I imagine there are few things I am going to say.”
The trial heard Mr Aquilino and Mr Coleman, who both suffered from long-term addictions, had previously lived with Desborough at a homeless hostel, and the last time they were both seen alive was in his company.
After their disappearances, the powerfully built Desborough, who is 5ft 10in and weighs nearly 18st, went on to spend their money on drugs and alcohol, and claimed they had both left Cornwall.
Their bodies were dismembered in an area of Sticker Woods, near St Austell, where Desborough lived in a wooden cabin.
It was there that police discovered, deposited in a stream, 1,900 burned bone fragments from the body of Mr Aquilino.
Parts of Mr Coleman’s body, including his torso, legs and feet, were found in a shallow grave nearby. His genitals have never been found and deliberate removal could not be excluded.
Prosecutors said Desborough was jealous of Mr Coleman because he had developed a sexual interest in his friend’s ex-wife, Hannah Creswell.
Hours after the former soldier was murdered by Desborough, Ms Creswell messaged the defendant: “Your cock is so small, one inch wonder like your best mate. The hole you have dug, you will be in it cuddling Dan.”
Desborough told a forensic biologist who was searching the woods for Mr Coleman’s body that he “particularly enjoyed the dismemberment scenes” in the television series Dexter.
Police found several handwritten notes inside Desborough’s cabin, including one headed: “Bug out list” and another: “Hostiles”.
Among the notes was one that said: “I know I am a killer and ready to execute any predators” and another that said: “Take care of the remaining muppets,” with Mr Coleman’s name also listed.
Desborough also drew a series of concentric circles with Sticker Woods in the centre, and London and Benidorm listed at the outer point, which was entitled: “Kill Zone”, and the sub-heading: “Operational spheres”.
He had also made plans to leave the UK weeks before he was arrested.
The father-of-one denied both murders and told the jury it was a “series of unfortunate circumstances” the two men died on his land within a short space of time.
Desborough killed Mr Aquilino, who had addictions to drugs and gambling, shortly after he was last seen alive in April last year.
The defendant maintained he had, in fact, while high on ketamine, found Mr Aquilino, who had a history of suicidal ideation, hanging dead from a tree on his land in May or early June.
And his role was helping Mr Coleman – who had dismembered and burnt the remains alone – dispose of Mr Aquilino’s body in a stream, Desborough said.
He said Mr Coleman calmed him down and convinced him to dispose of the body and carry on using Mr Aquilino’s bank card.
“The idea was to cover up the death, carry on using his card. I’m not proud of it, it was like dangling the carrot,” he said.
“I was homeless, jobless, I had no money and addiction problems.”
He also denied murdering Mr Coleman in the early hours of June 4, and instead insisted he had returned to his cabin later that month and found him lying naked, face down and dead in a stream.
Worried about there already being one dead body on his land and that he was in possession of Class A drugs, he dismembered Mr Coleman using an axe and buried the remains.
He accepted then spending their money on beer and drugs, but told jurors: “They were friends, I got on well with them.”
Desborough, of Old Oak Woods, Lower Sticker, Cornwall, had previously pleaded guilty to preventing the lawful burial of the two men’s bodies.
Claudio Aquilino’s family said in a statement: “As a family, we are completely and utterly mortified in the violent murder of Claudio, and the manner in which his body was disposed.
“Claudio will always be in our thoughts and we now pray he is at peace.
“We as a family cannot thank Devon and Cornwall Police officers enough for all their support and care throughout this profoundly sad ordeal for the family.”
Daniel Coleman’s family said in a statement: “We, as a family, would like to thank the police, prosecution and everyone involved in getting justice for Dan.
“Dan was a loving, caring and compassionate man who will be forever loved and sadly missed.”
Published: by Radio NewsHub