Thousands of overtime hours worked on murder case

Investigators who brought a killer to justice, after he disposed of his lodger’s severed body parts in packages, worked thousands of hours of overtime on the case.

Benjamin Atkins, 49, murdered Simon Shotton, also 49, at their home in Bournemouth in August 2023, following a dispute over £30 and drugs.

Atkins will serve a minimum of 21 years in prison after his initial 19-year jail term was extended in October.

Dorset Police said officers worked a total of about 3,600 hours of overtime during the investigation, with about 200 of them claiming it over the course of the case.

Atkins’ partner Debbie Pereira, 39, who was jailed for perverting the course of justice and preventing a lawful burial, also had her sentence increased to six years last month.

In a response to a Freedom of Information request published on Dorset Police’s website, the force said it paid out £132,738 in overtime as officers helped bring Atkins and Pereira to court.

It said it also spent £37,586 on getting help from other forces and £13,030 on other operating costs.

Mr Shotton's legs were disposed of on the Manor Steps Zig Zag footpath at Boscombe seafront after he was killed.

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 2023, 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.

Mr Shotton had been living in a tent in the couple's garden and gave them drugs in lieu of paying rent.

During his trial, Atkins admitted to killing Mr Shotton and dismembering his body but claimed he acted out of self defence.

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