Ex-soldier 'stabbed neighbours to death 40 mins after wife said she wanted split'

An ex-soldier stabbed his neighbours to death 40 minutes after his wife told him she wanted a trial separation, a court has been told.

Collin Reeves, 35, is on trial for murder over the deaths of Jennifer and Stephen Chapple on 21 November last year in Norton Fitwarren, outside Taunton in Somerset.

Reeves has claimed he cannot remember the attack despite recounting the incident to police in a 999 call just a few moments afterwards.

Reeves and his family lived next door to the Chapples, and previously had a good relationship before falling out over parking in May 2021, Bristol Crown Court heard.

There had been a number of rows between the families, including an incident ten days before the killing in which Reeves was captured on a door bell camera calling Mrs Chapple a “f****** c***” and a “fat bi**h”.

The defendant had also been having trouble in his own marriage, and around 40 minutes before the killings, his wife Kayley had told him she wanted a trial separation.

Reeves accepts stabbing Mr and Mrs Chapple, but denies murder, and has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

The Afghanistan veteran, who served with the Royal Engineers and completed the gruelling commando training, used the ceremonial dagger he had been given when he left the army.

The couple’s two young sons were asleep upstairs at the time of the killing.

Giving evidence on Monday, Reeves said he had little memory of the incident, but recalled sitting on the stairs in tears after the conversation with his wife.

Reeves said he then remembered a “white light”, which he believed to be the Chapples’ security light when he climbed into their back garden.

Jo Martin QC, for Reeves, asked: “Do you have any memory of what you were thinking about when you were sitting on the stairs?”

Reeves replied: “Just the fear of losing everything, I just felt ‘like we are going to split up’, that was it, (my wife) was talking about me going to stay with my parents.”

He claimed he had no memory of taking his dagger out of the picture frame in which it was usually displayed.

The defendant, who had previously recounted his fear of CCTV cameras and being under surveillance, said the next thing he recalled was a bright light coming on, and trying to get down on his front.

“I felt as though I had been seen or compromised, white light was a trigger when I was a soldier, when a light goes on or somebody sets off a flare, when that white light goes up something is going to happen,” Reeves said.

Asked what else he remembered, the defendant said: “I remember the handle of the (Chapples’) back door, the handle coming down.”

“I had a feeling like it was me or them,” Reeves added.

“I know it was wrong, I should never have been there.”

Reeves said the next thing he remembered was being back in his own home and hearing his wife screaming.

When at the police station, he told officers he was “Lance Corporal Reeves, sir”, and gave his military service number.

He told a custody sergeant “I was just doing my job” and “I was on an operation” although he did agree to speak to a mental health professional when this was offered to him.

But the jury previously heard the 999 call Reeves himself made, just a few minutes after the attack, in which he told the operator: “I went round with a knife, I’ve stabbed both of them.”

Under cross-examination, by Adam Feest QC, he acknowledged that he must have had a memory of the event when he made the 999 call.

During his evidence, Reeves recounted a culture of domestic abuse in his house growing up, and his own tendency to bottle up his feelings.

“I feel ashamed, disgusted with myself for what I’ve done, for taking Stephen and Jennifer’s life while their children were in bed, causing pain and suffering to their families and friends, knowing their two boys were in bed when it happened, why they can never see their mum and dad again because of me,” he said.

“I’ve always felt ashamed to talk to anyone about my feelings or thoughts because I always thought it was a sign of weakness, but now I am more ashamed for not talking or seeking help, because of what I have done.”

The trial, which is expected to last eight days, continues.