UPDATE: James Desborough was sentenced to a whole life order on 29 July. This means he will never be released from prison, except in exceptional compassionate circumstances.

A man has been found guilty of the murder of two men whose remains were found in woodland near St Austell in 2025.  

James Desborough (40) was convicted of two counts of murder by a jury at Winchester Crown Court today. The remains of Daniel Coleman (43) and Claudio Aquilino (57) were found during police searches of Paramoor Woods in Sticker, Cornwall, where Desborough lived in a cabin.  

Desborough was convicted in March 2026 of the murder of a third man, Steven Kempster, who he killed in HMP Exeter while awaiting trial for the other killings. This conviction was subject to reporting restrictions, which have now been lifted.  

Helen Phillips of the Crown Prosecution Service said:  

“Desborough killed without remorse and for seemingly no more reason than someone getting on his wrong side.  

“He attempted to cover up the killings of Daniel Coleman and Claudio Aquilino, taking steps to make it seem like they were still alive. The truth was that he had murdered both men and callously disposed of their bodies in Paramoor Woods. 

 “While in prison awaiting trial for these killings, Desborough brutally strangled his cell-mate Steven Kempster, and was convicted of that murder in separate trial. I took the decision to include this conviction as bad character evidence in this case, as it clearly demonstrated to the jury Desborough’s shocking pattern of violent behaviour.  

“This was a large and extremely complex case. We worked closely with police from the very start of their investigation in Paramoor Woods, and then later with a second police team on the investigation into the murder at HMP Exeter, which ran in parallel.  

“The families of Claudio and Daniel have been so dignified throughout the investigation and trial process, even when faced in court with awful descriptions of what happened to their loved ones, and Desborough’s attempts to blame Daniel for somehow being involved in the disposal of Claudio’s body. As Desborough faces justice for his actions, my thoughts remain with the families and friends of his three victims.”  

Building the case 

Both Daniel Coleman and Claudio Aquilino had previously lived with Desborough at a multi-occupancy residence in Newquay called Sandy Lodge.   

Desborough murdered Claudio Aquilino in April 2025. Claudio had called the police the night before he was last seen, frightened of what Desborough might do. The next day he was seen leaving a pub with Desborough. His burnt and fragmented remains were later found in the stream close to Desborough's cabin.   

An axe was found hanging from a tree branch in the woods. DNA from three individuals was found on it, and forensic experts concluded that it was a billion times more likely that one of those individuals was Claudio Aquilino than anyone else. Claudio’s bank card and SIM card were found in Desborough's cabin and his money had been spent by Desborough. 
 
Following the killing, Desborough travelled from Cornwall to Paddington by train, where he used Claudio's bank card before returning home, in a deliberate attempt to create a trail suggesting that Claudio was still alive and had left Cornwall.   

Desborough murdered Daniel Coleman in June 2025. He had spent weeks in a state of escalating anger toward Daniel, describing himself as "blood thirsty", "real hostile," and “fuming, spitting feathers”. He also kept a list of “hostiles” that included Daniel’s name, and was overheard saying it looked like "someone else is going to get buried in the woods."   

Desborough spent Daniel's money on tools – a bucket, firelighters, and gloves. He built a concealed path to the grave site, attempted to burn and bury the remains, and texted an acquaintance that "the coast is clear" and that there was "no more aggro". Daniel’s phone was later found under Desborough’s mattress with its SIM removed.   
Following the killing, Desborough forged a note in a disguised hand to create the impression that Daniel had voluntarily left the area and gone walking the Saints' Trail.  

On the 27 March 2026, James Desborough was convicted by a jury at Exeter Crown Court of the murder of Steven Kempster. Desborough shared a cell with Kempster at HMP Exeter while awaiting trial for the murders of Daniel Coleman and Claudio Aquilino. Kempster was strangled to death by Desborough on 15 September 2025.