A convicted individual accused of murdering two friends found dead in his Cornish woodland cabin maintains he did not kill them but discovered their remains.
James Desborough stated he found one body hanging from a tree and another in a stream, allegedly due to his mental state while under the influence of drugs.
The defendant admitted to cutting up a prisoner’s body in a Devon jail during his trial for the alleged murders but claimed this was unrelated to the two victims.
Desborough, 40, denies murdering Claudio Aquilino, 57, and Daniel Coleman, 43, but admits concealment of their bodies near his cabin.
He described himself as homeless, unemployed, and struggling with addiction when the events occurred.
Desborough claimed Aquilino and Coleman lived with him in a woodland cabin in 2025. He stated Aquilino was paranoid about threats, while Coleman had violent tendencies.
The defendant recalled finding Aquilino’s body in a tree and later discovering Coleman in a stream, using a hatchet to dispose of the remains.
Desborough said he had no memory of how Coleman died, calling his actions at the time “numb.” Prosecutors alleged he referenced the TV show Dexter regarding dismemberment, but Desborough said it was “creative writing.”
He admitted taking money from Aquilino and Coleman post-mortem, spending it on “beer and drugs.”
During questioning, Ahmed Hossain KC, prosecuting, asked if he derived pleasure from killing. Desborough denied involvement, stating the cellmate’s death was “out of character.”
When shown a note claiming, “I’m a killer and ready to execute any predators,” Desborough claimed it was fictional.
The trial continues.
