Double murder accused James Desborough, 40, has already been convicted of a brutal crime while on remand – strangling his cellmate Steven Kempster in 2025. As he awaits the verdict for allegedly killing Claudio Aquilino and Daniel Coleman in Cornish woodland, a disturbing picture of the defendant's psyche emerges.
According to agreed facts presented to Winchester Crown Court, Desborough was convicted by a jury at Exeter Crown Court on 27 March 2026, for the murder of Mr Kempster. The court heard that on 15 September 2025, Desborough murdered Mr Kempster by strangulation while they shared a cell at HMP Exeter.
The prosecution alleges that after killing Aquilino and Coleman – whose bodies were discovered in dense undergrowth near St Austell in July last year – Desborough attempted to cover his tracks. He accessed the victims' bank accounts, created a false trail suggesting one was in London and the other on a long-distance walk. Police spent five months meticulously searching the woods around Desborough’s cabin, uncovering burnt bone fragments believed to belong to Aquilino in a stream, while parts of Coleman’s body were discovered in a shallow grave nearby.
Desborough allegedly made a disturbing comment during police searches, remarking on his enjoyment of ‘dismemberment scenes’ in the TV programme Dexter. The alleged victims both had mental health problems: Aquilino faced intimidation and harassment, while Coleman suffered issues after being kidnapped and stabbed at 13.
Aguilino and Coleman were last seen alive in Desborough's company, prompting a police search of the woods in July last year. A month prior to this, Desborough repeatedly searched for information on cosmetic surgery in Thailand and airports there. Handwritten notes found in his cabin led police to investigate an email address linked to a private clinic, while images of knives, saws, axes, and a ghillie suit were also shown to the jury.
Desborough denies the murders but admits preventing their lawful burial. The trial continues at Winchester Crown Court.