Warzone flashback ‘lies’ of parking row double killer soldier
» His combat trauma story a lie, claims cop » Worked in hospital while in Afghanistan
AN ex-commando who claimed he knifed his neighbours to death when a security light triggered Afghanistan flashbacks never saw action there, a police detective says.
Collin Reeves, 34, was yesterday found guilty of murdering Jennifer and Stephen Chapple with a ceremonial dagger – his Army leaving present – in November.
He scaled the garden fence and stabbed the couple to death after a longrunning row over a parking spot.
Reeves had said the killings were manslaughter, not murder, as he was suffering an abnormality of mental functioning at the time.
He blamed PTSD from his time in the Afghanistan war and told arresting officers: “I was just doing my job, it was an operation.”
But Det Insp Neil Meade said: “I don’t buy his argument.
“He saw service in several places around the world including at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan. But… when he was in Afghanistan, he wasn’t exposed to any frontline action.”
He did however acknowledge that Reeves had worked in a hospital, where he would have seen injured comrades.
Reeves lived next door to the Chapples in Norton Fitzwarren, Somerset.
They fell out over parking on their new-build estate in May 2021.
There had been a number of angry exchanges between them, including one caught by doorbell camera in which Reeves directed a tirade of abuse at Mrs Chapple.
The veteran, who served with the Royal Engineers, carried out the frenzied knife attack in the couple’s living room as their two children, aged just five and six, slept upstairs.
The jury also heard that 40 minutes before the attack Reeves’ wife, Kayley, had asked for a trial separation. After yesterday’s verdict at Bristol crown court, the family of Mr and Mrs Chapple said in a statement: “No verdict will bring back our beautiful Jennifer and Stephen. “These past 10 days have prolonged us finding out how Jennifer and Stephen spent their final moments.”
Det Insp Meade said: “It was a totally senseless act on, what was on the face of it, a minor dispute between two families. It’s quite a common occurrence on estates such as theirs where parking is at a premium… but no one could have foreseen what happened that tragic day.
“After coming out of the Army it was well known in the local community that Reeves had done a commando course in 2010 and was a trained killer.
“As an ex-military man, his wife had warned neighbours against messing with him because of his background.”
Reeves was remanded in custody. He will be sentenced on Tuesday.