SerpApi.Org
A man accused of murdering two men killed his prison cellmate, a court has heard.
James Desborough, of Old Oak Woods, Lower Sticker, Cornwall, strangled Steven Kempster at Exeter Prison on 15 September last year, whilst on remand for the current allegations, Winchester Crown Court was told.
Jurors heard the defendant was convicted on 27 March of murder following a trial at Exeter Crown Court. The prosecution had not accepted a guilty plea of manslaughter from Desborough at that trial.
The 40-year-old is on trial for, and denies, murdering Claudio Aquilino, 57, between 17 April and 7 July, and Daniel Coleman, 43, between 2 June and 7 July last year.
He has previously pleaded guilty to preventing their lawful burial.
The trial continues.
Reporting restrictions previously applied to Desborough's murder conviction in March had prevented the media from mentioning the case.
However, Justice Pushpinder Saini, the judge presiding over the current trial, amended the order to allow points mentioned in the agreed facts set out by the prosecution and defence.
During the current trial, the court has previously been told Coleman and Aquilino met Desborough while they lived together at the Sandy Lodge homeless hostel in Newquay.
Jurors were told Desborough ended up living in a cabin in Paramoor Woods.
It heard the bodies of Coleman and Aquilino were dismembered and burnt in an area of the woods.
The court was told 1,900 burned bone fragments believed to belong to Aquilino were found by police in the woods and parts of Coleman's dismembered body including his torso, legs and feet were found in a shallow grave.
Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram. Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].
- Murder accused wrote 'I'm a killer', court told
- Accused argued with man he murdered, court hears
- Man's body parts were found in woods, court told
- Men were 'murdered, dismembered and left in woods'
