A 'Dexter fan' turned serial killer who murdered two homeless men and dismembered their bodies in Cornwall will never be released from prison.
James Desborough, 40, was given two whole life orders on Wednesday for killing Claudio Aquilino, 57, and Daniel Coleman, 43, last year. The former builder was already serving a life sentence for murdering his cellmate Steven Kempster, 65, at HMP Exeter while awaiting trial for these offences.
Mother's emotional statement
In a statement read out at Winchester Crown Court, Sandra Coleman, mother of victim Daniel, told Desborough: "You took my firstborn son. You've destroyed any hope of us coming together as a whole family. You have given me a life sentence of pain, despair, anxiety and hopelessness. You took my son."
She said that when she closes her eyes "the nightmares begin" and that she sees "his grave that you placed his broken destroyed body into".
The murders and investigation
Mr Aquilino and Mr Coleman, who both suffered from long-term addictions, had previously lived with Desborough at a homeless hostel. The last time they were seen alive was in his company. After their disappearances, Desborough spent their money on drugs and alcohol and claimed they had left Cornwall.
Their bodies were dismembered in Sticker Woods, near St Austell, where Desborough lived in a wooden cabin. Police discovered 1,900 burned bone fragments from Mr Aquilino's body in a stream, and parts of Mr Coleman's body including his torso, legs and feet in a shallow grave. His genitals have never been found.
Dexter reference and lack of remorse
Desborough told a forensic biologist searching for Mr Coleman's body that he "particularly enjoyed the dismemberment scenes" in the television series Dexter. Police found handwritten notes in his cabin including a "Bug out list" and "Hostiles". He had made plans to leave the UK weeks before his arrest.
Passing sentence, Mr Justice Saini said Desborough would never be released, calling him "a highly dangerous individual who has no regard for the lives of people who you think are worthless" and who "can kill in extreme violence, with no remorse or indeed reflection on your actions".
Desborough denied both murders, telling the jury it was a "series of unfortunate circumstances" that the two men died on his land. He showed no remorse, the judge said.
