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'Cold and callous' murderer who decapitated and dismembered his lodger before scattering his body parts across Bournemouth is guilty of murder

Related Topics: Winchester Law Courts

A 'cold and callous' killer who decapitated and dismembered his lodger while high on drugs before boasting of eating him has been found guilty of the murder.

Benjamin Atkins, 49, was convicted by a jury at Winchester Crown Court of killing 49-year-old Simon Shotton, cutting up his body and dropping packages of his dismembered limbs along the Bournemouth seafront.

After being pictured on CCTV footage carrying a saw, Atkins also burned Mr Shotton's head and possessions in his back garden and hid his victims' arms at home, telling neighbours he had 'cremated a fox'.

His girlfriend, 39-year-old Debbie Pereira, was cleared of murder but convicted of perverting the course of justice.