James Desborough

Background & Early Life

• Early 2000s: James Desborough worked as a civil engineer and builder. 

• Over time, he experienced personal hardship, including being homelessness,  there was also substance abuse issues, eventually he ended up in supported accommodation in Cornwall.  Acquaintances described him as having a volatile temper and holding deep resentment over his "bad luck in life'.

• December 2024 – April 2025: Desborough was placed  at the Sandy Lodge Hotel in Newquay, a facility housing homeless vulnerable individuals and people recovering from addictions. During his stay, he met and befriends several local vulnerable men, including Claudio Aquilino and Daniel Coleman.

The Murders & Cover-Up (2025)

• Friday 18th April 2025 — Murder of Claudio Aquilino (57)

  • It was The Easter holidays, and on this not so Good Friday, Claudio Aquilino, a vulnerable artist struggling with his own addiction, is last seen leaving a pub in Newquay, he was with James Desborough.

  • Desborough murdered Aquilino, dismembered the body, then burns and buries the remains near a remote off-grid cabin in Paramoor Woods near Sticker, Cornwall.

  • Following the murder, Desborough takes Aquilino's bank cards, making multiple cash withdrawals and fund transfers to himself.

• Tuesday 3rd June 2025 — Murder of Daniel Coleman (43)

  • Daniel Coleman, who suffered from PTSD and alcohol addiction, was last seen drinking with Desborough at a pub in Falmouth.

  • Desborough murders and dismembers Coleman in Paramoor Woods, disposing of his remains alongside Aquilino's near his woodland shack.

• Tuesday 24th June 2025 — Creation of False Trails

  • Desborough travels by train from Cornwall to London Paddington using Aquilino's stolen bank card. Detectives later determine this journey was staged to mislead investigators into believing Aquilino was still alive and had relocated to London.

Investigation & Further Crime (Late 2025 – Early 2026)

• Summer 2025 — Police Investigation & Search Operation

  • Daniel Coleman is reported missing, launching a major missing-persons investigation by Devon and Cornwall Police.

  • Suspicion shifts to Paramoor Woods, initiating a massive 175-day forensic search involving over 700 officers across multiple police forces. Officers divert a local stream to sift through riverbeds, eventually recovering burnt bone fragments belonging to Aquilino and Coleman.

• Late 2025 — Arrest and Charge

  • Desborough is arrested and formally charged in connection with the disappearance and murder of Daniel Coleman. He is remanded in custody at HMP Exeter while awaiting trial.

• Late 2025 / Early 2026 — Murder of Steven Kempster (65) at HMP Exeter

  • While on remand at HMP Exeter awaiting trial for the Cornish woodland murders, Desborough strangles his 65-year-old cellmate, Steven Kempster, to death. Desborough later claims he was irritated by Kempster's snoring.

Trials & Sentencing (2026)

• March 2026 — First Murder Conviction

  • Desborough stood trial at Exeter Crown Court for the prison murder of Steven Kempster. He is convicted of murder and received a life sentence.

• June – July 2026 — The Cornwall Murders Trial

  • Desborough stood trial at Winchester Crown Court for the murders of Claudio Aquilino and Daniel Coleman, as well as preventing the lawful burial of both men.

  • Evidence presented included forensic recovery of remains, financial records showing Desborough using the victims' cards, and notes found in his cabin declaring, "I know I'm a killer."

• Tuesday 28th July 2026 — Guilty Verdicts

  • After deliberating for just over three hours, the jury at Winchester Crown Court unanimously finds Desborough guilty of the murders of both Claudio Aquilino and Daniel Coleman.

• Wednesday 29th July 2026 — Whole-Life Order Handed Down

  • Presiding judge Mr. Justice Saini sentences 40-year-old James Desborough to a Whole Life Order at Winchester Crown Court, ensuring he will remain in prison for the remainder of his life without the possibility of applying for parole.

  • The sentences were:

  • Offence Murder [2 counts] - Sentence Length Life X2

  • Offence Obstructing a coroner / Intending to prevent a coroner from holding an inquest / Preventing the Burial of a Body [2 counts] Sentence Length 5 Years
    

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