Accused double murderer strangled cellmate awaiting trial, court hears

A man accused of a double murder allegedly strangled his cellmate while awaiting trial, a jury at Winchester Crown Court has heard. James Desborough, 40, faces charges of murdering Claudio Aquilino and Daniel Coleman, whose remains were reportedly concealed in woodland near his cabin in Cornwall.

The court was informed that Desborough was convicted earlier this year of murdering Steven Kempster. In agreed facts presented to the jury, prosecutor Ahmed Hossain KC stated that on March 27, 2026, Desborough was found guilty of Kempster's murder. The conviction detailed that Desborough strangled Kempster in HMP Exeter on September 15, 2025, while both were on remand for the current allegations.

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On 27 March 2026 at Exeter crown court, James Desborough was convicted by a jury of the murder of Steven Kempster. The facts of this conviction are that on 15 September 2025 James Desborough murdered Steven Kempster (with whom he shared a cell at HMP Exeter, whilst on remand for the current allegations) by compression of the neck by strangulation.

Prosecutors allege that after killing Aquilino and Coleman, Desborough accessed their bank accounts and attempted to cover his tracks. He reportedly tried to create the impression that one victim had traveled to London and the other was undertaking a long-distance trail. Police spent five months searching the woods near Desborough's cabin, discovering burnt bone fragments, believed to be Aquilino's, in a stream. Parts of Coleman's body were found in a shallow grave nearby, with an axe discovered hanging from a tree close to the site.

The jury heard that both alleged victims suffered from mental health issues. Aquilino, 57, had reportedly experienced racially motivated intimidation and harassment, leading him to feel safer being homeless. Coleman, 43, had a history of mental health problems stemming from a kidnapping and stabbing at age 13. The court was told that Aquilino, Coleman, and Desborough had lived together for a period at accommodation for homeless individuals and those with addiction problems in Newquay. The prosecution claims Aquilino and Coleman were last seen with Desborough, and police initiated their search of the woods in July of the previous year. The jury also heard that in the month prior to the police search, Desborough had researched cosmetic surgery in Thailand and its airports.

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particularly enjoyed the dismemberment scenes