Labourer who killed mother-of-two and buried her in shallow grave jailed for 18 years

A labourer who killed a mother-of-two and buried her in woodland near Coventry has been sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Mohammed Durnion, 42, was cleared of murder at Warwick Crown Court on Tuesday, but was found guilty of manslaughter over the death of 33-year-old Reanne Coulson.

Durnion's friend and fellow labourer, Adam Moore, 39, from the Willenhall area of Coventry, was jailed for six years for assisting an offender.

Durnion claimed Ms Coulson died from a drug overdose after an argument on 21 May last year.

But prosecutors told the court he strangled the 33-year-old and feigned a mental health crisis when police arrived at his flat in Paynes Lane, Coventry, after a neighbour heard screaming and called 999.

Officers searched the property using a torch from a mobile phone but didn't find Ms Coulson's body - which is believed to have been hidden under a mattress.

Durnion moved Ms Coulson after police left and she was found in Binley Woods a month later. She had been partially set alight with petrol.

During sentencing, Judge Kristina Montgomery KC told Durnion, who has 14 previous convictions including for battery and assault, that he had "showed total contempt for her in life and in death".

"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," she added.

He claimed Ms Coulson died from a drugs overdose when he had taken "stupid amounts" of cocaine and panicked.

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

Addressing Moore, who helped dispose of Ms Coulson's body, the judge said: "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 added, when he told officers that he wished he had left the victim's body to rot.

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In a victim impact statement, Ms Coulson's mother, Lynne Sparkes, described Reanne as a "beautiful, caring, loving person" with an "infectious laugh" who had "a heart of gold".

"The pain of losing my daughter in such a violent way is something I carry in every moment," she added.

Ms Coulson's twin, Kirsten Coulson, said she had been left with an overwhelming sense of emptiness. "I am still trying to comprehend a world where my twin no longer exists," her statement said.

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

"He has completely gone off the rails and has got himself in a terrible, terrible situation," Mr Mason told the court.

(c) Sky News 2026: Labourer who killed mother-of-two and buried her in shallow grave jailed for 18 years