Posted on 05/22/2024 11:58:16 AM PDT by Red Badger
Benjamin Atkins killed his lodger over a minor financial dispute, prosecutors said
A man has been found guilty of murdering his lodger before scattering his severed body parts in packages and a suitcase.
Benjamin Atkins, 49, killed Simon Shotton, of the same age, at their home in Bournemouth in August 2023 following a dispute over money, prosecutors said. Atkins' partner, Debbie Pereira, 39, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice.
They are due to be sentenced at Winchester Crown Court on 26 July.
Warning: This story contains graphic details which readers may find upsetting
Mr Shotton's legs were disposed of on the Manor Steps Zig Zag footpath at Boscombe seafront in August 2023. The trial was told how a member of the public was sheltering under a tree when a package containing the human remains landed beside her.
In September, the victim's arms were found in the couple's garden in Aylesbury Road and his torso was discovered in a suitcase at Boscombe Chine Gardens.
Police said skull fragments were also found in Walpole Lane in February 2024.
Giving evidence, Atkins claimed he killed Mr Shotton in self-defence, using the end of a hairbrush and beating him with a loudspeaker, after the lodger threatened him with a knife.
The father of two told the court: "If I wasn't under the influence [of drugs], I wouldn't have cut him up.
"I was scared, I was traumatised, I was panicked, I was under extreme stress."
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
Carrion Luggage Ping!......................
Did he see Seven Beauties ?
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