A man accused of murdering two other men has told a court that their bodies were found on his land due to a 'series of unfortunate circumstances.' James Desborough, 40, stated he had 'lost all grip on reality' when he attempted to dispose of the bodies of Daniel Coleman, 43, and Claudio Aquilino, 57, including dismembering one of them.
Desborough, a former construction firm boss, is on trial at Winchester Crown Court for the murders of Coleman and Aquilino, whom he met at a homeless shelter in Newquay. He has admitted to disposing of the bodies, stating it 'wasn't the best decision.' The court has heard that Desborough is already convicted of murdering his prison cellmate, Steven Kempster, 65, while awaiting trial for the deaths of Coleman and Aquilino. He strangled Kempster due to annoyance over his loud snoring.
Police searched the woods surrounding Desborough's cabin for five months after Coleman and Aquilino went missing. During the search, burnt bone fragments were discovered in a stream, and parts of Coleman's body, including his torso, legs, and feet, were found in a shallow grave nearby.
During his defense, Desborough claimed that both Aquilino and Coleman were 'paranoid and talked about committing suicide.' He stated he found Aquilino hanging from a tree and, fearing discovery of drugs and cannabis plants on his property, worked with Coleman to hide the body. Desborough later found Coleman face down in a stream, claiming he had no idea how he died. He did not contact authorities, attributing his actions to heavy alcohol consumption and a lack of clear thought.
Desborough admitted to dismembering Coleman's body and attempting to burn it. He also confessed to using the bank cards of both men, which he attributed to his drug addiction and financial desperation, comparing it to a 'dangling carrot.'
Prosecutors challenged Desborough's account, questioning diary entries where he wrote 'I am a killer' and made references to a 'kill zone' and 'hostiles.' He explained these as creative writing experiments. When asked about purchasing a new petrol can, he claimed it was to fuel a chainsaw, alleging squirrels were chewing through existing cans to get high on the fuel.
Prosecutor Ahmed Hossain KC suggested that Desborough was trying to hide his role and that the circumstances were not coincidental. He questioned why Desborough would mutilate and burn bodies rather than call authorities, arguing this prevented an investigation into the cause of death. Desborough maintained his assertion of 'unfortunate circumstances,' citing his mental and emotional state at the time, exacerbated by drug abuse and alcohol, which led him to 'lose all grip on reality.'