Army urged to stop giving veterans weapons after traumatised ex-soldier murders husband and wife with ceremonial dagger

8 March 2023, 10:33

British Army chiefs have been urged to end the tradition of handing over weapons to leaving veterans after a traumatised ex-soldier stabbed a couple to death with a ceremonial dagger.

Collin Reeves, 36, a former commando, murdered teacher Stephen Chapple, 36, and his wife Jennifer, 33, at home in Taunton after a parking argument.

Reeves was handed the dagger by army bosses after he left the forces in 2017 after 15 years.

Somerset coroner Samantha Marsh has told defence secretary Ben Wallace that the army should stop giving weapons like the dagger to traumatised veterans who could possibly use them to hurt people, the Evening Standard reported.

She said: "The dagger was not a blunt replica, it was a fully functional weapon capable of causing significant harm, injury and sadly in the Chapple’s case, death.

"Please reconsider the appropriateness of providing anyone leaving the British Army, regardless of rank or status, with what is (to all intents and purposes) a deadly weapon.

“Such presentation/gifting has essentially put a deadly weapon in the community (where I understand it sadly remains, having never been recovered as it was removed from the scene prior to police attendance) and I am not persuaded that this is appropriate.

Read more: Ex-soldier Collin Reeves jailed for life for murdering neighbours as sons slept upstairs

Read more: Moment ex-soldier confronts neighbour in parking row months before double killing

Reeves knifed the Chapples six times each at their house on the evening of November 21 2021 and was unanimously convicted him of murder in June 2022. He was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 38 years.

Reeves had been involved in a row with the couple over designated parking on the housing development since the previous May.

Minutes after killing them, he himself called the police to confess to what he had done, but later denied murder, claiming he was only guilty of manslaughter on diminished responsibility.

However, two forensic psychiatrists found he was not suffering from psychosis or acute post-traumatic stress disorder, and diagnosed him with only mild to moderate depression.

Coroner Ms Marsh said: “During the trial, evidence was adduced by defence team to allude to the poor mental health of (Reeves) because of combat and tours of war-torn countries.

“This is not an uncommon feature of those serving in and/or leaving the Army and adds further weight to my concerns around the appropriateness of such items (whether ceremonial or not) being issued in the first place, but secondly being issued to those who may have a propensity for mental health issues.”

The Defence Secretary has been given until April 25 to respond to the Coroner’s report.