Overview
- On Wednesday at Winchester Crown Court prosecutors outlined a case that alleges James Desborough murdered two men he had lived with in Newquay in 2025.
- Searches of Paramoor Woods recovered about 1,900 burnt bone fragments forensically linked to Claudio Aquilino and dismembered parts of Daniel Coleman in a shallow grave near the defendant’s cabin.
- Forensic teams also recovered an axe near Coleman's grave with DNA the prosecution says is highly likely to match Desborough and Coleman rather than a third party.
- The prosecution says both victims were vulnerable residents of Sandy Lodge who were last seen with Desborough, whose phone activity and later use of the victims’ bank cards are cited as further evidence; he has pleaded guilty to preventing lawful burial but denies the murder charges.
- The trial will test a mix of physical evidence, DNA analysis, CCTV and bank records and is likely to shape public and police scrutiny of how shared accommodation for people experiencing homelessness protects residents.