Man convicted of three Cornwall murders, two homeless men

A man has been found guilty of murdering two homeless men in Cornwall last year, dismembering their bodies and hiding them in woodland, before killing his cellmate while awaiting trial. James Desborough, 40, was convicted on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at Winchester Crown Court for the murders of Claudio Aquilino, 57, and Daniel Coleman, 43. He is already serving a life sentence for strangling fellow inmate Steven Kempster, 65, at HMP Exeter in March. The verdicts mean Desborough has been found guilty of three separate murders committed over a five-month period in 2025.

The jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts after deliberating for three hours and 15 minutes. Desborough showed no emotion as the verdicts were read. He had previously pleaded guilty to preventing the lawful burial of Aquilino and Coleman.

The court heard that Desborough, Aquilino, and Coleman had previously lived together at Sandy Lodge, a homeless hostel in Newquay for people with addictions. The last confirmed sightings of both victims alive were in Desborough's company. After their disappearances, Desborough, described as powerfully built, used their money to buy drugs and alcohol.