Serial killer given whole life orders for murders of two men as police investigate four more deaths

Serial killer James Desborough has been given two whole life prison sentences with no chance of parole - as police revealed they are looking into four unexplained deaths at the homeless shelter that housed him.

Desborough, already serving a minimum of 19 years for the murder of his prison cellmate, was given the whole life tariffs for killing 57-year-old Claudio Aquilino and Daniel Coleman, 43, in Cornwall.

Aquilino and Coleman met Desborough at Newquay's Sandy Lodge homeless shelter, where police are now reviewing the unexplained deaths of two other men and two women.

Sentencing, Mr Justice Pushpinder Saini described Desborough as "a highly dangerous individual who had no regard for the life of those you think are worthless".

Desborough befriended the two vulnerable men and used "extreme violence" on both of them, before dismembering and concealing their bodies, the judge said.

He said the former builder used their bank cards and made journeys to give the impression they were still alive.

Their remains were discovered close to Desborough's woodland cabin near Sticker in Cornwall.

The judge at Winchester Crown Court said the offences had an exceptionally high level of seriousness and it was rare to impose such a sentence with no chance of parole.

Desborough was also sentenced to five years on each count of preventing the lawful burial of Aquilino and Coleman, who were last seen alive on 18 April 2025 and on 3 June 2025 respectively.

In victim impact statements read out in court, Coleman and Aquilino's families spoke of their anguish imagining the pain and fear the men suffered.

Coleman's brother, Tony Nye, said there "weren't enough words in the English language" to describe the pain and suffering Desborough had caused his family.

"You have taken from this world my big brother in the most disgusting and horrific way," he said.

"The world will see you for the vile degenerate coward you are. There will be no forgiveness for you in this world or the next."

His mother, Sandra Coleman, said: "You took my firstborn son. You destroyed any hope of us coming together as a family.

"You have given me a life sentence of pain, despair, anxiety and hopelessness."

Aquilino's uncle David Bonomi said his nephew was a "friendly, talented artist" who had been killed in a "brutal, cruel and evil manner".

He said the family had reported him missing as it was "very unusual for him not to have been in contact" as he called his mother every day.

Speaking earlier about the review of the four unexplained deaths, Det Supt Rachael Bentley, from Devon and Cornwall Police, said: "As a major crime investigation team we were informed by the coroner's officer for His Majesty's Coroner that there were four deaths at Sandy Lodge.

"As part of the investigation, a detective inspector, separate to the investigation but within major crime, did a review of those deaths, and that included commissioning some more forensic work, some CCTV, and statements."

Inquiries were ongoing and Desborough was "not a suspect at this time", Bentley said.

"We don't believe there is a link at this time, but I said it's an ongoing investigation," she said

She said police attended each of the deaths at Sandy Lodge and inquiries suggested natural causes but coronial investigations were paused when Desborough was arrested for murder.

The jury heard Desborough dismembered his victims' bodies, tried to burn their remains and hid them in woodland in Sticker where he owned a cabin.

Closing the case to the jury, Ahmed Hossain KC, said Desborough was capable of switching to "very serious violence".

Bentley described the killings as "callous and cold-blooded", as "both men were vulnerable and trusted James Desborough as their friend" before he brutally murdered them and "savagely desecrated their bodies".

While on remand he was also convicted of strangling his cellmate Steven Kempster at HMP Exeter after a trial in March.

That trial had heard Kempster's snoring had annoyed Desborough.

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