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| Date |
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|---|---|
| Location | Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset |
| Accused |
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| Trial | Winchester Crown Court |
The Bournemouth body parts murder was a murder of 49-year-old local man, Simon Shotton, who was killed by 49-year-old Benjamin Atkins on 18 August 2023. Later, Atkins cut up Shotton's body and placed various parts around the Boscombe suburb of the Bournemouth area in Dorset, England.
Shotton had been living with Atkins and his partner, 39-year-old Debbie Pereira at Pereira's address, on an arrangement that he supplied them with crack cocaine and heroin. It was believed that the murder had been carried out due to Atkins not being happy with the amount of drugs that Shotton had or was providing to the couple in exchange for a place to stay.
Shotton's body was dismembered in the couples flat using a hacksaw stolen from a local shop. Body parts were put into bin bags, a suitcase or deposited without any covering in various places across Boscombe and discovered by a member of the public and police on 26 August, before further discoveries were made by police on 2 September, 6 September 2023 and 28 February 2024.
At court, Atkins and Pereira both denied murder. Atkins admitted perverting the course of justice and preventing the burial of a corpse, with Pereira also admitting preventing the burial of a corpse later during the trial, but denied perverting the course of justice.
On 22 May 2024, Atkins was found guilty of Shotton's murder, and Pereira was found not guilty. Pereira was found guilty of perverting the course of justice. The pair are to be sentenced later in 2024.