A self-confessed fan of the television serial killer Dexter has gone on trial accused of murdering two vulnerable men and dismembering their bodies in a remote Cornish woodland, a court has heard.
James Desborough, 40, is alleged to have killed Claudio Aquilino, 57, and Daniel Coleman, 43, before cutting up their remains and attempting to burn and bury them in Paramoor Woods near the village of Sticker, where he lived in a cabin. Desborough has pleaded guilty to preventing the lawful burial of both men, but denies two counts of murder. His trial opened at Winchester Crown Court on June 25, 2026, before Mr Justice Saini and a jury of eight men and four women, and is expected to last up to seven weeks.
Prosecutor Ahmed Hossain KC told the court that Mr Aquilino and Mr Coleman had both lived with Desborough at Sandy Lodge, a multi-occupancy residence in Newquay that housed people who were often homeless or struggling with addiction. The two victims were last seen alive in Desborough’s company, the prosecution said, and after each disappeared their bank accounts were accessed and their money spent by the defendant.
“He killed them, he dismembered their bodies, he attempted to burn and bury their remains to conceal what he had done, and then used their money whilst at the same time lying to those around him about where they had gone,” Mr Hossain said.
Police began their investigation in July 2025, after a cordon was placed around Paramoor Woods on July 26. Over the following months, up to November 2025, officers conducted meticulous searches of the woodland and Desborough’s cabin. Forensic examination of flesh recovered at the scene confirmed it belonged to Mr Aquilino, and subsequent DNA testing showed that the remains belonged to two separate individuals: Mr Aquilino and Mr Coleman.
According to the prosecution, approximately 1,900 burned bone fragments believed to come from Mr Aquilino were discovered in the woods. Parts of Mr Coleman’s dismembered body, including his torso, legs and feet, were found in a shallow grave nearby. An axe was found hanging from a tree close to that grave.
During searches of Desborough’s cabin, officers found Mr Aquilino’s bank card and a SIM card hidden in the roof panels and under the floor. A metal tin containing a SIM card registered to Mr Aquilino was also recovered. The prosecution said Desborough had purchased items including a hand saw, a knife, a galvanised bucket, firelighters and gloves – tools, they argued, that could be used to “dismember and conceal” a body.
Mr Aquilino, who was of no fixed abode and maintained almost daily contact with his family in Italy despite his addiction issues, had expressed fear of Desborough shortly before his death. On April 17, 2025, he contacted police, describing Desborough as “off his head” and “kamikaze” and saying he wanted to avoid being involved in any crime with him. He was last seen alive on April 18, 2025, in a Newquay pub with Desborough, where he sold his mobile phone. Mr Aquilino had been removed from Sandy Lodge on April 11 after taking another resident’s phone.
Mr Coleman, 43, from St Austell, had been living with his wife, Hannah Cresswell, in tents on Desborough’s land after leaving Sandy Lodge. The last call made from his phone was to Desborough on June 3, 2025, the court heard.
The prosecution alleges that after the men vanished, Desborough used their money for his own benefit, including transactions at a Post Office in Sticker, the Hewas Inn public house, and Griggs country store – where he was captured on CCTV using Mr Coleman’s bank card. He also purchased a National Express coach ticket and a train journey from Cornwall to London Paddington using their funds, which Mr Hossain said was a deliberate attempt to make it appear the victims were still alive and had left the area. Desborough also attempted to pay for petrol and a container with Mr Coleman’s card, according to the court.
The Dexter connection: ‘a particular significance’
A central theme of the prosecution’s opening was Desborough’s reported comments about the television programme Dexter, a series that follows a forensic analyst who is also a serial killer and which features graphic scenes of dismemberment and body disposal.
Mr Hossain told the court that a fellow resident of Sandy Lodge, Craig Cudmore, had told police that Desborough said he “particularly enjoyed the dismemberment scenes” in the show. The prosecutor stressed the relevance of this remark given the nature of the alleged crimes.
“That is a series which involves scenes of dismemberment and disposal of bodies,” Mr Hossain said. “There are many, many people who are fans of the television programme Dexter but, on the behalf of the prosecution, when you consider that comment by Mr Desborough together with the fact that two dismembered bodies were found on his land, that the comment takes on a particular significance.”
The court also heard about notes found in Desborough’s cabin in his own handwriting. One read: “I know I am a killer and ready to execute any predators.” Other notes suggested plans to buy a “ghillie suit” – a type of camouflage garment – to find a way to leave the UK, and included references to “bodies buried”, “new burner phone” and “safe house”.
When questioned by police, Desborough answered “no comment” to all interviews, the prosecution said. The defendant, who appeared in the dock wearing a grey T-shirt and glasses, with a beard, followed proceedings from the court’s secure dock.
His defence is led by Sean Brunton KC and Paul Grumbar; the prosecution team also includes Leila Tai. The trial continues.
