Bournemouth, Crime | Posted on July 29th, 2024 | return to news
Bournemouth man jailed for life for murder
Benjamin Lee Atkins, 49, was sentenced to life in prison for murdering and dismembering a man then scattering his remains across parts of Boscombe.
Benjamin Lee Atkins, aged 49 and of Bournemouth, was handed a life sentence at Winchester Crown Court on Friday 26 July after being found guilty of murder at an earlier trial. He will serve a minimum term of 19 years in prison.
Atkins was convicted of murdering 49-year-old Bournemouth man Simon Shotton, dismembering his body and hiding human remains across various sites in Boscombe. Atkins previously admitted to charges of perverting the course of justice and preventing the burial of a corpse.
His co-defendant, Debbie Ann Pereira, aged 39, was sentenced to four years in prison after she was found guilty of perverting the course of justice at trial, having already admitted preventing the burial of a corpse.
The trial follows an extensive investigation by Dorset Police, launched when a package containing parts of a human leg were discovered by a member of the public near Manor Steps Zig Zag in Boscombe on Saturday 26 August 2023. A second package was found nearby.
Scientific analysis helped police to identify the victim as Mr Shotton. Investigators were then able to link him to the defendants: Mr Shotton had been staying at their address in Aylesbury Road and CCTV was obtained showing Atkins and Pereira selling the victim’s phone at a store in Boscombe.
The pair were arrested on 1 September, and during the search of the property, the remains of the victim’s arms were found in the rear garden.
Further human remains – this time of a torso – were discovered in a black suitcase in the area of Boscombe Chine Gardens, near to Boscombe Pier on 6 September.
Later, Atkins disclosed information to police, allowing them to carry out searches in the Walpole Lane area in Boscombe from 28 February 2024. Search teams recovered a number of bone fragments, which were found to be from a human skull.
After the sentencing, Mr Shotton’s family issued the following statement: “All the family of Simon James Shotton would like to give a very big thank you to everyone involved with our son’s case.
“Also to the jury, who had to sit through some very unpleasant evidence – thank you to you all.
“Also a very special thank you to our family liaison officers Liz and George, who have been there for us all the way your support has been a great help to us all.”
Detective Chief Inspector Neil Third, from the Major Crime Investigation Team, said: “This was an extremely complex investigation, starting from a point where we only had partial human remains and no victim identified.
“Throughout our extensive enquiries to firstly establish the identity of Mr Shotton, and then to identify those involved in his death, first and foremost in our minds has been the desire to secure justice for his family and hold Benjamin Atkins and Debbie Pereira responsible for their horrific actions.
“This was an abhorrent act and the impact upon Mr Shotton’s family of their loved one being murdered and then dismembered in this way cannot be underestimated. I would like to thank them for the dignified way they have conducted themselves throughout this investigation and the court process.
“I would also like to thank everyone from across Dorset Police who helped to investigate this matter and, with assistance from the Crown Prosecution Service, bring the case to court.”
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