Man ‘decapitated and dismembered’ couple before moving remains in a suitcase, court hears
A man “decapitated and dismembered” a couple in London before freezing their severed heads and carrying the rest of their remains to Bristol in a suitcase, a court has heard.
Yostin Andres Mosquera is on trial accused of the murders of Albert Alfonso, 62, and Paul Longworth, 71, in July last year, in the flat the couple shared in Shepherd’s Bush, west London.
Mr Alfonso was stabbed to death while being filmed and footage shows Mosquera – described by the prosecution as a “pornographic performer” – singing and dancing in the aftermath of the attack, the Old Bailey heard.
Mosquera admitted the manslaughter of Mr Alfonso at a hearing on Tuesday but denies, and is being tried on, both murder charges.
Prosecutor Deanna Heer told jurors Mosquera “could hardly deny” killing Mr Alfonso and said the attack took place while the defendant and victim were having sex.
But Mosquera blames Mr Alfonso for the death of Mr Longworth, the court heard.
Mr Alfonso liked “extreme sex” and engaged in acts with other men, which Mr Longworth knew about and accepted but had “nothing to do with”, jurors were told.
The defendant is said to have visited the UK more than once, spending time with the couple and engaging in sex acts with Mr Alfonso in exchange for payment. The couple also visited him in his home country, Colombia.
When Mosquera visited the UK in June last year, he “had other matters on his mind,” the prosecutor said.
Analysis of his computer allegedly showed that shortly before his trip to the UK, the defendant searched for the value of the couple’s west London home, browsed for a chest freezer and copied spreadsheets with Mr Alfonso’s online banking passwords.
He is alleged to have killed Mr Longworth – who was “attacked with a hammer to the back of the head,” the prosecution said – and later Mr Alfonso, in their home on 8 July 2024.
“Albert Alfonso had been repeatedly stabbed, suffering multiple wounds to his torso, his body, and his face and to his neck,” Ms Heer said.
Forensics officers outside the couple’s address after the remains were found last July. Pic: PA
Jury shown footage of victim’s death
Footage of Mr Alfonso’s killing was shown to the jury, who were warned it is “not an easy watch”.
Prosecutor Ms Heer said Mosquera appears “unconcerned” after the “violent assault”.
“As Mr Alfonso lies on the floor dying, the defendant starts singing and breaks into a dance and then makes his way directly to the desktop computer in Mr Alfonso’s room and starts using it… to look at information about Mr Alfonso’s finances,” she said.
The court heard examination of the computer showed Mosquera accessed a spreadsheet containing the couple’s online banking passwords and attempted to access Mr Alfonso’s accounts to move money – including trying to send £4,000 to his own account.
He made numerous cash withdrawals, obtaining at least £900 before the transactions started being declined, the court heard.
Cyclist’s encounter with defendant
At around 11.30pm two days later, a cyclist on the Clifton Suspension Bridge saw Mosquera standing next to a large suitcase and stopped to see if he was OK, the jury heard.
The witness also saw a large silver trunk a few metres away from the defendant, who said the luggage contained car parts.
The prosecutor said: “In fact, the suitcases contained the decapitated and dismembered bodies of Paul Longworth and Albert Alfonso, which the defendant had transported to Bristol from their home in London where they had been killed two days before.”
Police found the couple’s decapitated heads at their flat in a chest freezer, the court heard.
Mr Alfonso, a swimming instructor, and Mr Longworth, a retired handyman, were described by neighbours as a “friendly couple who seemed happy together and who were genuinely fond of one another”.
They entered a civil partnership in February 2023.
The trial continues.
The UK has seen its warmest start to May on record as temperatures soared to over 29C in the spring sunshine.
The Met Office said 29.3C (84.7F) had been recorded at Kew Gardens in southwest London, passing the previous 1 May record of 27.4C (81.3F) set in Lossiemouth in 1990.
Thursday was also the warmest day of the year so far, beating the previous high of 26.7C (80F) reached in Wisley, Surrey, on Wednesday.
Follow latest updates: May record broken
The seafront in Southend-on-Sea. Pic: PA
But the heat is not expected to last for the bank holiday weekend, with cooler weather starting to drift in from the north on Friday.
Temperatures are expected to ease by Friday and Saturday, meaning cooler conditions of 14C to 18C across the UK.
Stephen Dixon, a Met Office spokesman, said: “Temperatures tomorrow will be slightly reduced from what we’ve seen today, possibly 26 or 27 degrees in the far southeast of England through the day tomorrow.”
What has led to the hot spell?
Forecasters said the hot spell has been due to the jet stream remaining stuck north of the country, allowing high pressure to settle.
Last month was also the sunniest April in the UK since records began in 1910, with 47% more sunshine hours than the long-term meteorological average, and the third warmest April on record, according to provisional Met Office figures.
Rainfall was well below average for most of the UK last month, with just 56% of expected totals recorded.
And Tyne and Wear had its second driest April on record, with only 7% of its usual rainfall.
Boy’s body recovered from lake
Meanwhile, the recovery of a 16-year-old boy’s body from a lake in Nottingham prompted emergency services to warn about swimming in lakes and rivers.
Chief Inspector David Mather, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “I would like to take this opportunity to highlight this case as a reminder of the devastating consequences of entering open water – regardless of whether people do so deliberately or inadvertently.”
A lifeguard at London Fields Lido in east London. Pic: Reuters
The London Fire Brigade said its crews responded to 565 water-related incidents last year and have already attended around 160 in the first quarter of this year, with incidents ranging from rescuing people to animals stranded on lakes and ponds.
‘Water temperatures can be dangerously cold’
Assistant commissioner for prevention and protection Craig Carter said. “Even when the sun is shining, water temperatures can be dangerously cold. Cold water shock can affect anyone, no matter how fit or experienced they are. It can lead to water inhalation, and, in the worst cases, drowning.”
People enjoy their ice creams during in St James’s Park, London. Pic: PA
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) offered similar warnings, advising those planning to swim at a lifeguarded beach to swim between the red and yellow flags.
Fire services warned that the warm weather means there is a “heightened” risk of grass and wildfires which can spread more easily during the dry spell, as firefighters have been battling what they described as a large wildfire in the Peak District.
The RAC also cautioned drivers on the roads, with spokesman Rod Dennis saying breakdowns are expected to “soar”, while the NHS reported searches for hay fever advice had doubled from Monday to Wednesday.
Police have revealed details around the dismissal of the co-instructor in a fatal paddleboarding trip.
Nerys Lloyd was jailed last month for the gross negligence manslaughter of Paul O’Dwyer, 42, Andrea Powell, 41, Morgan Rogers, 24, and Nicola Wheatley, 40.
The 39-year-old had also pleaded guilty to one offence under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
The four were part of a stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) tour of the River Cleddau in Pembrokeshire.
They got into difficulty after their paddleboards passed over a weir in the town of Haverfordwest during “extremely hazardous conditions” in October 2021.
Lloyd was the owner and sole director of Salty Dog Co Ltd, the firm which had organised the tour.
(L-R) Nicola Wheatley, Andrea Powell, Paul O’Dwyer and Morgan Rogers. Pics: Family handouts (via South Wales Police)
The defendant, who worked as a firearms officer for South Wales Police, was separately accused of breaching the standards of professional behaviour.
The misconduct hearing took place on 14 January 2022, but the publication of the outcome was postponed.
Now that criminal proceedings have concluded, South Wales Police has published the outcome of the hearing, which details that Lloyd was accused of making a fraudulent insurance claim.
Lloyd was dismissed without notice and placed on the police barred list.
Nerys Lloyd (centre, on crutches) leaving Swansea Crown Court after her plea hearing. Pic: PA
The decision on the outcome, compiled after the hearing, states that Lloyd did not attend it and neither had she submitted a written response to the allegations.
Lloyd made a claim against the South Wales Police Federation group insurance scheme for her vehicle’s repair costs.
The cost of the work to repair the vehicle was somewhere between £16 and £20 but the insurance claim made by Lloyd was for £577.55.
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The report into her dismissal states that, when the matter came to light, she admitted her wrongdoing and immediately apologised.
She was interviewed under caution on 11 October 2021, less than three weeks before the fatal paddleboarding tour.
When interviewed by police, Lloyd said she had made a “massive error of judgement” in relation to the insurance claim and she later repaid the amount in full.
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