A man has been jailed for a minimum of 19 years for murdering his lodger and 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 and drugs, Winchester Crown Court heard.
Atkins’ partner, Debbie Pereira, 39, was jailed for four years for perverting the course of justice and preventing the burial of a corpse.
The judge, Mrs Justice Stacey, said Atkins’ actions were “gruesome” and “shockingly callous”.
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.
