James Desborough given whole life order for murders of two men
James Desborough was found guilty of murdering two men and dismembering their bodies in Cornwall. He received a whole life order, and police are reviewing other deaths.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
James Desborough, 40, has been given a whole life order for the murders of two men whose bodies he dismembered and hid in woodland in Cornwall. The sentence was handed down at Winchester Crown Court after he was found guilty of killing Claudio Aquino, 57, and Daniel Coleman, 43.
Desborough met both men at a homeless shelter in Newquay. They were vulnerable. He killed them, then dismembered their bodies. Police found Daniel's body cut up and buried in woods. Claudio's body had been burned and the remains tipped in a stream. Desborough used their bank cards to make it appear they were still alive.
While on remand awaiting trial, Desborough strangled his cellmate Stephen Kempster because he was snoring. He was already serving a life sentence for that murder.
Devon and Cornwall police have launched a review into the unexplained deaths of four people who were at the same homeless shelter as the two murdered men. Two men and two women died unexpectedly while Desborough was staying there. Police say there are still inquiries outstanding, but he is not a suspect at this time.
The family of Daniel Coleman welcomed the sentence, saying it was as close to justice as they could get. The judge described Desborough as "a person who can kill using extreme violence with no remorse or indeed reflection on your actions." Desborough is now one of the rare killers locked away never to be released.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One | Sky News |
|---|---|---|
| Desborough killed his cellmate Stephen Kempster while on remand. | ||
| James Desborough was found guilty of murdering Claudio Aquilino and Daniel Coleman. | ||
| The victims' bodies were dismembered and hidden in woodland in Cornwall. | ||
| Desborough was handed a whole life order (no chance of parole). | · | |
| Devon and Cornwall police are reviewing the unexplained deaths of four people who were at the same homeless shelter as Desborough. | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News presented the story as a breaking news bulletin, focusing on the guilty verdict and the gruesome details of dismemberment. It briefly mentioned the cellmate killing but quickly moved on to another unrelated court case, giving the story less depth than the BBC.
- “James Desborough, who's 40, has been found guilty at Winchester Crown Court of the murders of Claudio Aquino, who was 57, and Daniel Coleman, who was 43.”
- “Their bodies were dismembered and hidden in woodland in Cornwall last year.”
- “also killed his prison cellmate after being remanded in custody in a third explosion of fatal violence in less than six months.”
BBC One West provided a more comprehensive and emotional report, including the whole life order, the police review of other deaths, and reactions from the victim's family and the judge. It highlighted the possibility of more victims and the vulnerability of the homeless shelter community.
- “James Desborough is a triple killer with no chance of parole but could there be more victims?”
- “You are a person who can kill using extreme violence with no remorse or indeed reflection on your actions.”
- “Nothing will ever bring back Daniel and you know it almost seems like there is nothing no sentence that can be passed that will be 100% just but it's as close to justice as we can get.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.