A Dexter fanatic murdered his cellmate while on remand for chopping up his two roommates, a court heard. James Desborough, 39, strangled 65-year-old Steven Kempster to death at HMP Exeter in September last year while awaiting trial.
At the time, the 39-year-old was accused of killing Daniel Coleman, 43, and Claudio Aquilino, 57. Desborough pleaded guilty to manslaughter but was convicted of murdering Kempster by a jury. He is now on trial, charged with two counts of murder after Daniel and Claudio’s deaths. Jurors heard Desborough met the two men at a homeless residence in Newquay, Cornwall.
After he allegedly murdered them, he dismembered their bodies in Paramoor Woods, near Sticker, Cornwall, attempted to burn and bury their remains and then stole their money.
Prosecutor Ahmed Hossain KC said that parts of Daniel’s dismembered body, including his torso, legs and feet, were uncovered in a shallow grave. His DNA was also found on an axe that was hanging from a nearby tree,
Claudio’s shallow grave was located 18 metres away. The court heard that police found 1,900 burnt bone fragments, belonging to Claudio, at a nearby stream.
A “piece of flesh” – also from the alleged victim – was in the water, and a search party also found “two pieces of unburnt scapula”, it was said.
Mr Hossain KC said the alleged killer was a fan of the dark drama TV show Dexter, in which the main character is a serial killer who dismembers people.
Desborough told a forensic biologist involved in the woodland searches that he “particularly enjoyed the dismemberment scenes” in the show, the prosecutor said
One read: “I know I’m a killer, ready to kill and execute any predators.”
The jurors also heard of another note that included plans and intent to leave the UK, mentioning details including a “shuffle bag liner”, “bodies buried”, “new disguise”, “new burner phone”, and “safe house”.
Desborough denies murdering Claudio between April 17 and July 7 last year and killing Daniel between June 2 and July 7 last year.
He has pleaded guilty to preventing the lawful burial of the two men’s bodies.