A MAN dismembered and burnt two bodies in an area of Sticker Woods in Cornwall, and killed his cellmate — all inside six months during “explosions of fatal violence”, a trial was told.

James Desborough, 40, is accused of murdering Claudio Aquilino, 57, and Daniel Coleman, 43, last year in Cornwall, writes Rod Minchin, Press Association.

While on remand at HMP Exeter, he strangled cellmate Steven Kempster, 65, and was later convicted of his murder, a jury at Winchester Crown Court has been told.

In a closing speech, Ahmed Hossain KC, prosecuting, told jurors Desborough had lied about how Mr Aquilino and Mr Coleman had died.

The men had previously lived with Desborough at a hostel for the homeless in Newquay and the last time they were both seen alive was in the company of the defendant.

Their bodies were dismembered and burnt in an area of Sticker Woods where Desborough lived in a cabin on land he owned.

In the woods, police discovered 1,900 burned bone fragments believed to be from the body of Mr Aquilino.

Parts of Mr Coleman’s dismembered body, including his torso, legs and feet, were found in a shallow grave nearby.

Addressing the jury, Mr Hossain said: “In 2025, James Desborough murdered Claudio Aquilino and Daniel Coleman.

“While he was awaiting this trial, he murdered his cellmate Steven Kempster for annoying him.

“These three explosions of fatal violence took place in less than six months.”

The prosecutor accused Desborough of lying when he told the jury Mr Aquilino, who had drug and gambling issues, was still alive in June and that Mr Coleman, who was an alcoholic, was involved in burying his body.

“Why is he lying? So he can point the blame at somebody else because it is only him and Mr Aquilino, and later on only him and Mr Coleman,” Mr Hossain said. “What James Desborough has done is tell you a series of lies. Why has he done that? To avoid the truth that he killed both of these men.”

Mr Hossain said Desborough had dismembered both men to attempt to destroy DNA evidence and to conceal their identities.

“While he was on remand for those two murders, he murdered again. He killed in custody while awaiting trial for these two murders,” he added.

The trial has heard that a search of Desborough’scabin by police found a number of handwritten notes including one headed “Bug out list” and another “Hostiles”.

Among the notes were one which said, “I know I am a killer and ready to execute any predators” and another that said, “Take care of the remaining muppets”, with Mr Coleman’s name also listed.

The court also heard that Desborough had made plans to leave the UK weeks before he was arrested.

Sean Brunton KC, defending, said Desborough, Mr Aquilino, Mr Coleman and their friends lived in a different world of homelessness, drinking and taking drugs and the jury should consider that background before coming to any conclusions about what happened.

In his closing speech, he said there was “no evidence whatsoever” that Desborough had lost his temper or had an “explosion of fatal violence”.

“I am not going to lie to you, ladies and gentlemen, it’s not looking very good. I would not like to be in Mr Desborough’s shoes facing two charges of murder,” Mr Brunton said.

“Having to answer why not just one but two dismembered bodies were found on his land – that’s a tricky position to be in.

“The prosecution would like you to follow the easy path and follow your emotions or be guided by your disgust, and their assumptions, theories and stories.

“Nobody else apart from the defendant actually knows what happened. The prosecution cannot say what happened.”

He added: “There is no evidence to say that Mr Desborough did lose his temper explosively or that he tried to leave the country despite having many opportunities to do so.”

Mr Brunton suggested Mr Aquilino, who had a history of threats to self-harm, was not murdered in April last year but in fact had “hung himself in the woods sometime later”.

“I accept on Mr Desborough’s behalf that the account he has given is not a very attractive one – sometimes the truth is very uncomfortable,” he said.

“In the real world, strange and unpleasant things happen.

“Either Claudio Aquilino committed suicide or he was murdered. Unless you know of his history, his suicidal ideation, how can you give that question proper consideration?”

Mr Brunton said Mr Coleman was an alcoholic and had been assessed at risk of suicide and self-harm.

“How unlikely is that Daniel Coleman may die? The body can only take so much, as can the mind,” he said.

Desborough, of Old Oak Woods, Lower Sticker, Cornwall, denies the murders of Mr Aquilino, 57, on a date between April 17 and July 7 last year and Mr Coleman, 43, between June 2 and July 7 last year.

He has previously pleaded guilty to preventing the lawful burial of the two men’s bodies.

The trial continues.