Defendant Claims Bodies Found on His Land Due to 'Unfortunate Circumstances'

James Desborough, 40, is on trial at Winchester Crown Court, accused of murdering Daniel Coleman, 43, and Claudio Aquilino, 57. Desborough stated that the bodies of both men were found on his land due to a "series of unfortunate circumstances" and denied killing them, admitting only to attempting to conceal their remains.

Desborough, who previously pleaded guilty to murdering his prison cellmate Steven Kempster while awaiting trial for the deaths of Coleman and Aquilino, told the court he "lost all grip on reality" when he discovered the bodies. He claimed to have found Aquilino hanging from a tree and later discovered Coleman deceased in a stream. Fearing repercussions due to possessing drugs and cannabis plants at his cabin in Sticker, Cornwall, Desborough stated he and Coleman worked together to hide Aquilino's body. He later admitted to dismembering and attempting to burn Coleman's body.

Police searched the woods surrounding Desborough's cabin for five months after the two men went missing, eventually discovering burnt bone fragments in a stream and parts of Coleman's body, including his torso, legs, and feet, in a shallow grave. The court heard that Desborough, Coleman, and Aquilino had lived together for a period at accommodation for homeless individuals and those with addiction problems in Newquay and were last seen with Desborough.

During his testimony, Desborough claimed both Coleman and Aquilino were paranoid and spoke of suicide. He explained his decision not to contact authorities by stating he had been drinking heavily and was under the influence of drugs, including ketamine, speed, and cannabis, leading him to "not think straight." He also admitted to using the deceased men's bank cards, attributing this to his addiction and financial struggles, describing it as "like dangling a carrot."

The prosecution challenged Desborough's account, questioning his diary entries that included phrases like "I am a killer" and "hostiles," which he explained as creative writing experiments. He also offered an unusual explanation for purchasing a new petrol can, claiming squirrels were "addicted" to chewing through his existing cans to "get high."

Prosecutor Ahmed Hossain KC questioned Desborough's narrative, suggesting his actions of mutilating and burning the bodies were intended to obstruct an investigation into their deaths. Desborough maintained his account of finding the bodies under "unfortunate circumstances."