The father of two and former soldier was arrested after he murdered a couple while his children were sleeping upstairs in a heated row about a parking spot.
Colin Reeves was 34 years old and lived in three bedrooms in Norton Fitzwarren (near Taunton), next to Stephen Chapple, 36. He also had Jenny Chapple as his garden worker.
The black-and-white doorbell footage shows the moment that the neighbours clashed at the victim’s front door. Video shows the Jenny being confronted by a man who calls her a ‘cheeky little b***h’.
IT teacher Stephen Chapple, 36, and his garden centre worker wife Jenny, 33, were found at the £250,000 property on a new-build estate in the sleepy Somerset village of Norton Fitzwarren, near Taunton, on Sunday night. They were both named locally and suffered serious injuries.
Reeves was a married father to Kayley Louise, Kayley’s daughter and the couple had two children. They moved in around three years ago.
The 34-year-old father and former soldier Colin Reeves was arrested on suspicion of murdering two children while they slept upstairs in a heated row about a parking spot.
Colin Reeves (right, left), lived in a property with three bedrooms on the Somerset estate of Norton Fitzwarren. It was located near Taunton. Next door to Stephen Chapple (36) and Jenny (33)
The black-and-white doorbell footage shows the moment that the neighbours clashed at the victim’s front door. Video shows the Jenny being confronted by a man who calls her a ‘cheeky little b***h’
Neighbours of the couple told MailOnline that they and the former squaddie, 34, had been involved in a long running dispute over parking, which saw them leaving their cars outside each other’s drives, causing them to be blocked in.
Sarah, Sarah’s neighbor, did not wish to reveal her surname. She said tensions between them escalated three months back after Jenny crashed Jenny’s car into the vehicle of a neighbour when she was returning home.
She said: ‘Things got even worse between them after that point. Each side reacted the same and was equally responsible for the disagreement.
The private estate was constructed seven years ago. Residents claim that parking disputes are frequent due to narrow streets and a lack of space.
Marion McGregor said: ‘Generally, everybody has issues with parking around here. New houses only have one space for parking. Because of the poor public transportation in this area, many residents have multiple cars.
‘There are always issues between neighbours about cars blocking their drives or parked outside their homes. It’s a real nuisance issue on this estate. Overall, it’s a lovely area but people can get quite intense and angry about parking.’
Stephen Chapple, a 36-year-old IT teacher, was discovered with his wife Jenny, a 33 year old garden worker, at their Somerset home in Norton Fitzwarren on Sunday night.
This afternoon, police revealed that the attackers attacked the children of the couple, aged six and five, in their upstairs bedroom. The children were found to be ‘distressed, but not hurt’ and are currently being taken care of by Jenny’s sister at her home in the neighborhood.
Jenny was found to have suffered multiple stab wounds. Stephen’s remains unfinished.
Former soldier was held on suspicion for murder. He remains in custody. The investigation has led to the release of his father, aged 67.
Residents confirmed that parking is a problem on the estate. Drone photos today show two vehicles parked bumper-to-bumper in the Chapples’ space. The officers searched a nearby drainage.
Melissa said that she had never heard of any parking dispute Jenny or Steven were involved in.
“But everybody has a problem with parking around here. It’s not uncommon for people to have more than one car, which has created a lot of problems.
Justin French, Inspector confirmed that the Chapples had previously been called by police. He said: ‘There have been previous incidents. There have been call outs in the past.’
Avon and Somerset Police stated that the incident at Dragon Rise Estate would be reported to the police watchdog because of ‘prior contact with the involved’.
Parking is a problem on the estate, according to residents. Drone photos today show two cars parking bumper-to-bumper in designated spaces at the Chapples.
The parking lot from the ground. One woman stated that parking is a problem in this area. People have many cars and there’s not enough room for them all. This has created a lot of problems.
They were both named locally and were later found to have suffered serious injuries. Jenny appears in a photograph on social media.
Today’s photo shows a forensic officer at Norton Fitzwarren (a village in the vicinity of Taunton).
The scene shows two police officers searching for a Dragon Rise drain. Floral tributes are shown in the background to the couple.
An address was left on the tributes to Dragon Rise. Police continue to investigate what led to the deaths of the Chapples.
Gregg Mockridge, Headteacher at West Somerset College, where Stephen worked, said: “Steve was a fantastic colleague at West Somerset College, a brilliant teacher that cared deeply about the students in his care. His innovations included the integration of technology throughout the school and within his teaching.
“Steve will be sadly missed by all staff and students and our thoughts and prayers go out to his children and wider family at this time.”
Rob Brooks is the manager at the Otter Garden Centre where Jenny was employed in the coffee shop. He told MailOnline that Jenny was well-loved and very kind.
“We loved her, and all of our customers did too. We are deeply saddened. She will be remembered as a kind, caring mother and colleague. We are all feeling very hurt and this has been very painful for us.
Mr Brooks stated that Jenny worked at the garden center from the beginning of the year.
He said, “Stephen and his children would occasionally come in, and we got the chance to get to know them.” The family was close-knit and loved one another.
“There has been a lot speculated that this was a dispute between neighbours, but I do not want to be involved in that.
Residents of the Dragon Rise estate described their neighborhood as tranquil, while one neighbor said that the victims were’very friendly.
“I recognized them from sight, but didn’t know their names. My dog loved the woman.
A neighbor claimed that he didn’t realize anything was amiss even though the air ambulance arrived. He believed the helicopter had been sent from a nearby military base.
He stated that he slept through the whole thing and only witnessed the tape and police this morning.
Other people reported hearing screams, and then the arrival of emergency personnel and police.
While officers perform a forensic inspection of the scene, a police cordon remains in place at the two streets properties.
A voluntary referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct will be made if there has been prior contact between police and those concerned.
The formal identification and subsequent post-mortem examinations will determine the cause of death.
On Sunday at 9.45pm, officers were dispatched to Dragon Rise in Taunton, Somerset. Both were treated for serious injuries and found by police.
Taunton’s Dragon Rise is guarded by a policeman today. Wellwishers left flowers nearby.
Major Crime Investigation Team detective Inspector Neil Meade stated that: “The families of both victims last night have our thoughts.”
“Two children, both young and unaffected by the accident, were present at the scene of the incident.
“They have been taken care of and specially trained officers were deployed to help the families of the victims in this most challenging time.”
He stated that he would conduct an extensive investigation into the matter and will work hard to get justice for victims’ families.
“While it appears that this is an isolated incident,” a spokesman for the police said, “There will be more police activity in the vicinity to provide the community comfort.”
Although incidents like these are uncommon, they happen very rarely. When they do occur we understand that it is a cause for concern. Therefore we urge all those with questions or concerns to talk to their local police department or dan officers.
If you have information that would assist our investigation, please dial 101.
Today, a forensic tent was pictured at the Taunton scene for the double murder suspect.
A voluntary referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct will be made for those who have had prior contact with police.
A woman living nearby said: ‘We didn’t see much of (the suspect) really, but there had been rows in the past about parking’ (image taken yesterday)