James Desborough on trial for double murder in Cornwall woods

James Desborough is being tried at Winchester Crown Court for the murders of Claudio Aquilino, 57, and Daniel Coleman, 43, whose bodies were found in woodland near Old Oak Woods, Lower Sticker, Cornwall. Prosecutors say Aquilino’s remains were broken into 1,909 fragments, some burned, and recovered from a stream, while Coleman’s dismembered body was discovered in a shallow grave in Paramoor Woods.

Desborough denies killing either man but admitted to dismembering and disposing of the bodies, claiming he felt “pressured” after previously pleading guilty to preventing lawful burial of Aquilino. He testified that Coleman suggested the dismemberment and that he used a hatchet and wood to burn the remains before discarding ashes in a stream. The trial highlighted his alleged mental‑health breakdown and his prior relationship with both victims, who were met through a homeless shelter.

Prosecutor Ahmed Hossain KC emphasized the gruesome nature of the crimes and Desborough’s earlier guilty plea, while the defense maintained that Desborough found both men already dead and acted under duress.