Mohammed Durnion found guilty of killing mother-of-two Reanne Coulson, found in woodland shallow grave

Mohammed Durnion, who strangled mother-of-two Reanne Coulson and buried her body in a shallow grave on the outskirts of Coventry, was found guilty of manslaughter but cleared of murder at Warwick Crown Court.

Ms Coulson, 34, went missing in May 2025.

His family was alarmed when he could not contact them on his birthday, June 17.

His body was found in Binley Woods in late June.

Durnion, 42, was convicted by an 11-1 majority on Tuesday after jurors heard how he used petrol to set part of Ms Coulson’s body on fire.

Durnion, of Paynes Lane, Coventry, showed no apparent reaction in court as the verdict was announced.

Jurors were instructed to find the worker guilty of the alternative charge of manslaughter if they believed he did not actually intend to cause serious bodily harm to Ms. Coulson.

He claimed the 33-year-old died of a drug overdose on the night of May 21, 2025, taking a “stupid amount” of cocaine and panicking before burying his body in woodland five miles from his home.

Prosecutors alleged Ms Coulson was assaulted and strangled to death.

Jurors also found Durnion’s friend and field worker Adam Moore guilty of assisting an offender by helping to dispose of Ms Coulson’s body at Binley Woods on May 22.

Moore, 39, of Marlcroft, Willenhall, Coventry, denied the charge, claiming he had only gone into the woods to look for Durnion.

Footage of Durnion leading officers to the grave near the bridge and speaking to two officers outside his flat was released by West Midlands Police after he was found guilty.

Also released was video of the police search, in which a cell phone was used as a torch and did not reveal the victim’s body hidden in the bedroom.

Footage taken in the wooded area on June 27, 2025, shows Durnion pointing to the bushes, telling police he “was there” and saying the body was “deep enough.”

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

The three-week trial heard police were sent to Durnion’s flat after a neighbor called 999 after hearing Ms Coulson, a sex worker known to use drugs, screaming for help.

Durnion was unable to make any statement at the hearing because of the serious neck and head injuries suffered by Ms Coulson, who is 6ft tall and weighs less than 9stone.

He was seen grinning as he carried the suitcase he used to transport the body and went on a drug binge before being arrested, an eyewitness said.

Prosecutor Timothy Cray KC, who opened the case at the start of the trial, said Ms Coulson disappeared on May 21 last year after attending a support group at a Catholic Church where she appeared to be well.

About an hour later, Mr Cray said Durnion’s neighbor heard a woman “screaming in fear” and called 999 at 11.26pm.

The court heard police searched Durnion’s address in the early hours of the next day after he left the property.

Mr Cray said: “We say the timing and circumstances indicate that this was a deliberate attack by an able-bodied man on a defenseless and defenseless woman whom he was driving back to his address.

“One of the things to look at is how long they had been together in the flat. The evidence is that the attack started one minute after the defendant arrived at the flat at around 11.22pm.

Mr Cray added: “Police were unable to find her body because she hid it and then did not notice uniformed officers.

“We think he was acting and knew exactly what he was doing, which was to cover up the fact that he killed Reanne and hid her body in his own apartment.”

Detective Inspector Nigel Box, of West Midlands Police, said of the victim’s relatives: “The family are understandably mortified and heartbroken and have since learned what happened to Reanne.

“We supported them as much as we could throughout the investigation and the court process.

“We are heartbroken for them. Reanne was a mother, an aunt, a sister, a daughter, and our hearts go out to this family.”

West Midlands Police said a review of the circumstances surrounding the search at the premises was carried out by the Professional Standards Department.

In a statement, police said: “Although some learning opportunities were identified and implemented, no abuse was identified.

“We notified Reanne’s family of the investigation and expressed our regret that we were unable to locate her on May 21. We have liaised with Reanne’s family throughout the investigation into her death.”

Both defendants will be sentenced on Thursday.