Shallow grave killer jailed for 18 years for strangling mother-of-two

A labourer who strangled a mother-of-two, set fire to her body and buried her in a shallow grave has been jailed for 18 years.

Mohammed Durnion was told his actions had robbed the relatives of Reanne Coulson of someone who was deeply loved by her entire family and always helped others without hesitation.

Ms Coulson, 33, was killed around five minutes after arriving at Durnion’s flat in May last year in a violent attack overheard by a neighbour, who dialled 999 to alert West Midlands Police.

Officers arrived following the 999 call and spoke to Durnion, who feigned a mental health crisis and falsely claimed his father had cancer.

A police search of the property in Paynes Lane, Coventry around an hour later failed to discover the body of Ms Coulson, a sex worker who was known to take drugs, hidden under a mattress.

Sentencing Durnion, who buried Ms Coulson’s body in woodland on the outskirts of Coventry a day later, Judge Kristina Montgomery KC said evidence showed that Durnion had set fire to the body in an effort to destroy evidence of his fatal assault.

The judge told the 42-year-old he “showed total contempt for her in life and in death”.

She told Durnion: “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.

“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.”

Jurors at Warwick Crown Court cleared Durnion of murder but convicted him of manslaughter by a majority 11-1 verdict on Tuesday after hearing how he used petrol to set part of the victim’s body on fire.

He claimed Ms Coulson died from a drugs overdose on the night of May 21, when he had taken “stupid amounts” of cocaine and panicked.

Durnion initially refused to answer police questions after his arrest on June 24 but took officers to the makeshift grave after being shown footage of a media appeal made by his victim’s relatives.

Jurors also convicted Durnion’s friend and fellow ground worker Adam Moore of assisting an offender on May 22 by helping in the disposal of Ms Coulson’s body in Binley Woods.

Moore, of Marlcroft, Willenhall, Coventry, had denied the charge, claiming he went to the woods simply to look for Durnion.

The 39-year-old was jailed for six years

Judge Montgomery told Moore: “You lied to police about your involvement in Reanne Coulson’s burial, as you lied to the jury during your trial.”

Moore, who has 24 previous convictions for 62 offences, had shown a total lack of conscience, the judge said, when he told officers that he wished he had left the victim’s body to rot.

The judge added that Durnion’s case was one of high culpability, aggravated by the concealment and “attempted destruction” of the body.

In a victim impact statement to the court, Ms Coulson’s mother, Lynne Sparkes, said family members had been left with a “lifetime of overwhelming grief”.

Ms Sparkes’ statement, read to the court by a prosecution barrister, said: “Reanne was a beautiful, caring, loving person whose infectious laugh could light up any room.

“She had a heart of gold and was always willing to help anyone in need.”

Ms Coulson’s kindness and warmth had touched everyone she knew, her mother said, adding: “This grief has reached every generation of our family.

“This crime has torn through our entire family and our lives have changed beyond recognition.

“The damage is something we will carry for the rest of our lives.

“The pain of losing my daughter in such a violent way is something I carry in every moment.”

Other statements from relatives were also read to the court. One said “the pain, trauma and devastation” would stay with them for the rest of their lives.

Ms Coulson’s twin, Kirsten Coulson, said she had been left with an overwhelming sense of emptiness.

Her statement read: “I am still trying to comprehend a world where my twin no longer exists.”

Describing having to take part in media appeals to trace her missing sister as one of the most difficult things she had ever had to do, she said: “Being a twin is more than a family relationship, it is a shared existence.”

The sentencing hearing was told Durnion has 14 previous convictions, including for battery and assault offences recorded in 2002 and 2023.

David Mason KC, offering mitigation for Durnion, said the case served as a warning of the dangers of Class A drug use.

Mr Mason said: “This is not a man at 42 years of age who is a hardened criminal.

“He has completely gone off the rails and has got himself in a terrible, terrible situation.”

He said that Durnion, having stopped taking drugs, took officers to the victim’s body out of concern for her family, rather than to reduce his eventual sentence.

“He showed the senior officers investigating this case where Reanne was,” Mr Mason said. “He clearly indicated a concern that they should not stand on her grave.”