Men were 'murdered, dismembered and left in woods'

A man killed two other men he lived with in a homeless shelter, dismembered their bodies, tried to burn their remains and hid them in Cornish woodland before stealing their money, a court has heard.

James Desborough, 40, of Old Oak Woods, Lower Sticker, Cornwall, is on trial at Winchester Crown Court, accused of murdering Claudio Aquilino, 57, and Daniel Coleman, 43 in 2025.

Opening the case for the prosecution, Ahmed Hossain KC said all three men had lived together for a time at Sandy Lodge in Newquay, which housed homeless people and people with addiction issues.

"He killed them," Hossain said, referring to the fates of Aquilino and Coleman.

Desborough is accused of murdering Aquilino between 17 April and 7 July 2025, and Coleman between 2 June and 7 July 2025.

Hossain said: "He dismembered their bodies, he attempted to burn their bodies, their remains, and conceal what he had done.

"Then he used their money while, at the same time, lying to those around him about where they had gone."

Jurors were told Desborough had already pleaded guilty to two counts of preventing the lawful burial of Aquilino and Coleman.

Hossain said Aquilino had "long-standing addiction issues" and "had little money or stability in his life."

"He would call his relatives in Italy on an almost daily basis and so, despite his limited means and lifestyle, he seemed to have strong family ties," he said.

The court heard Aquilino was last seen alive on 18 April 2025, a week after he was evicted from Sandy Lodge for stealing another resident's phone.

Desborough, who had also been living at Sandy Lodge, had left three days before Aquilino died, Hossain said.

On 17 April, Aquilino was seen in a pub in Newquay with Desborough and another man.

Hossain added: "After 18 April, the contact that Claudio historically had with his family on an almost daily basis stopped."

He said bank records showed the pattern of spending on Aqulino's accounts changed after this date and Aqulinio's bank card and mobile phone Sim card were later found concealed in a cabin Desborough was living in at Paramoor Woods, also known as Old Oak Woods.

The court heard Coleman had been married to Hannah Cresswell but that their relationship was "turbulent". He said the pair lived at Sandy Lodge until 7 March 2025 when they had split.

Hossain said a witness would tell jurors he became aware of a relationship "of some sort" between Desborough and Cresswell.

He said the relationship between Coleman and Desborough, meanwhile, became fractious.

Hossain said Coleman was last seen alive on 3 June when he had been drinking at a number of pubs with Desborough in Truro and Falmouth, and that Coleman was likely killed in the early hours of 4 June.

He said Coleman's phone did not move from Sticker, nor did it show any response or activity after 3 June and it was later found in Desborough's cabin under the mattress.

Hossain said the movements of Desborough's phone after 3 June were "consistent with the use of Daniel Coleman's bank cards", which, like with Aquilino, were used differently after that date than the "historic pattern of spending".

The court heard on 30 June, Desborough was arrested on suspicion of fraud relating to his use of Coleman and Aquilino's bank cards but was then arrested on suspicion of Coleman's murder.

As investigators closed in on finding Coleman's remains on 5 July, Desborough made a last-ditch attempt to burn and destroy evidence, the court heard.

Hossain said forensic botanist Dr Mark Spencer was searching Paramoor Woods near Desborough's land when the accused approached the team in a "friendly manner".

"A few hours later, the search team drew a bit closer towards Mr Desborough's land," Hossain said.

"He shouted: 'What are you doing? You frightened me. This is my land.'

"Dr Spencer assured him the team was not on his land."

Hossain said the team could hear "the sounds of digging, the sounds of planks being thrown... accompanied by the smell of burning" shortly afterwards.

He said the search "seems to have prompted him to attempt to destroy further evidence".

Jurors were told about police searches of woods nearby.

Hossain said 1,900 bone fragments were found in a stream, which was divided into search area sections and examined "meticulously".

He said: "DNA analysis confirmed that they had found what was left of Claudio Aqulinio's body."

Hossain said Coleman's remains, which were found in a shallow grave and in a stream, were examined by a forensic pathologist who determined the dismemberment had been "deliberate, methodical and carried out with precision."

The defendant, who sat in the dock wearing a grey T-shirt with a beard and glasses, denies the charges and the trial continues.

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