Killer Who Buried Woman in Woods Jailed for 18 Years

The jury heard that Ms Coulson had been hidden inside the flat beneath bedding and a mattress. The property itself was described in evidence as being in squalid condition, with no electricity, items strewn throughout, and a bucket being used as a toilet.

After police left, Durnion returned in the early hours of 22 May, retrieved her body, placed it in a suitcase and transported it to Binley Woods, approximately five miles away.

Judge Montgomery said: “You put her body into a suitcase. You drove around with it on board, covering some considerable distance, to scope out locations where you might dispose of her body on land or in water.”

The court was told that Durnion dug a shallow grave in woodland and used petrol in an attempt to burn the body before burying it. Ms Coulson’s remains were not discovered until five-and-a-half weeks later, following a missing person investigation after she was reported missing on 11 June.

A post-mortem examination was unable to establish a definitive cause of death, in part due to the condition of the remains. However, injuries to the head and neck were identified. In sentencing remarks, the judge said: “There were fractures to the structures of the neck. I am satisfied that a hand placed around her neck was the means by which they were sustained.”

She added that although the precise medical cause of death could not be formally determined, the evidence supported the conclusion that Ms Coulson had been subjected to a physical assault consistent with strangulation.

Durnion had claimed during the trial that Ms Coulson died from a drug overdose after he had taken what he described as “stupid amounts” of cocaine. He admitted handling her body and disposing of it but denied causing her death. That account was rejected by the jury.

Judge Montgomery told him: “You have never accepted your responsibility for Reanne Coulson’s death or given her family the closure of knowing how it was caused,” adding that his account amounted to a “cynical exploitation” of the evidential uncertainty. She further observed that his conduct demonstrated “total contempt” for Ms Coulson in both life and death.

In a statement, Giovanni D’Alessandro of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “At no point did either of them show remorse or take accountability for what they had done.”

The court heard that Durnion initially declined to answer police questions following his arrest but later directed officers to the burial site after being confronted with evidence gathered during the investigation, including appeals made by Ms Coulson’s family.

Evidence against Moore included phone data and forensic analysis placing him at Binley Woods on 22 May. The prosecution case was that he either assisted in digging the grave or acted as a lookout while the body was disposed of.

Moore denied assisting an offender, claiming he had gone to the woodland to look for Durnion out of concern for his welfare. The jury rejected that account.

Sentencing Moore, the judge said: “You lied to police about your involvement in Reanne Coulson’s burial, as you lied to the jury during your trial.” She added that his comments to officers, including expressing a wish that the body had been left undiscovered, demonstrated a “total lack of conscience”.

The case centred on a complex evidential picture in which the exact medical cause of death could not be established, but the jury was satisfied to the criminal standard that Durnion’s unlawful actions caused Ms Coulson’s death, resulting in the manslaughter conviction and lengthy prison sentence.