'Devoted' married couple, 35 and 36, killed themselves in suicide pact

‘Devoted’ married couple, 35 and 36, killed themselves and their dogs in suicide pact after ‘struggling with health conditions, police probe and fallout from firebomb neighbour row’

• Cassie Collins, 35, and Francis Collins, 36, were discovered at home in 2021 
• For confidential support call Samaritans on 116123 or visit www.samaritans.org 

A ‘devoted’ married couple killed themselves and their dogs in a suicide pact after ‘struggling with health conditions, a police probe, and fallout from a firebomb neighbour row’, an inquest heard.

Cassie Collins, 35, and Francis Collins, 36, were discovered by a family member on September 11, 2021, who had become concerned for their welfare.

Mrs Collins, a student nurse, and Mr Collins, a former paratrooper, were said to have been together for 11 years after meeting in a call centre. 

The couple were ‘joined at the hip’ but following the launch of a new police investigation against Mr Collins, they were said to have been worried that everything could be taken from them. 

Mr Collins had previously been jailed for throwing homemade firebombs onto a neighbour’s drive.

The firebomb followed a civil dispute over the ownership of a piece of land where they lived in Wales. The couple then relocated to Cullompton in late 2020.

An inquest held into the deaths at Exeter’s Coroners Court on Monday heard that three of their five dogs were also found dead at their home in Station Road, Cullompton. Police later discovered their two larger dogs, dobermans, had recently been put to sleep at the vets after claims they had been involved in an attack. 

Cassie Collins, 35, and Francis Collins, 36 (pictured together), were discovered by a family member on September 11, 2021, who had become concerned for their welfare

The inquest heard that in the lead-up to their deaths, the couple had carried out a number of pre-planned actions, including creating a joint will, sending letters and emails, and having two of their dogs put to sleep.

In a statement read out during the inquest, Mrs Collins’s sister Jodie said the pair had both spoken in the past of wanting to end their lives. 

She then received a letter through the post from her sister on September 11, 2021, in which she apologised for being unable to cope with the pain she was in anymore.

After gaining entry into her home, Mrs Collins was discovered lifeless in her bed cuddling three of their dogs – a chihuahua and two miniature pinschers – who were also deceased. Mr Collins was found passed away in the hallway.

Mrs Collins’s sister added: ‘Cassie had said a couple of years ago that if there were going to kill themselves they would kill the dogs as well as they wouldn’t want anyone else looking after them.’

The dogs were described as being like their ‘children’ because due to Mrs Collins being in so much chronic pain she was not able to have children. Her sister said she had previously spoken about not being able to live with the pain she was in and that the pending police investigation had left the couple ‘really low’.

Mrs Collins, who was born in Exeter, was said to have endured many years living in chronic pain due to knee and shoulder injuries that left her unable to work and often bedbound. 

She had been referred to NHS service Talkworks and was discharged in August 2021 after reporting she did not have suicidal plans. 

Mr Collins, who was born in Hereford, was said to have been diagnosed with adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) while living in the USA and had a long history of depression and anxiety. He had previously made an attempt to end his life. 

He was assessed by Talkworks in May 2021 and found to have severe psychotic depression with daily suicidal thoughts and was urgently referred to the NHS mental health team.

Mr Collins told them how when he was 10, his father ended his life. He was noted to be suffering from ongoing back pain, financial stress and was worried about the ongoing police investigation. He was put under the care of the community mental health team and was awaiting an ADHD assessment.

Mrs Collins’s mother Deborah Coombes told how the pair had begun living together in Heavitree, Exeter, and then moved to Chelmsford where Cassie did her nurse training. However, just weeks before she was due to finish she caused further damage to an existing knee injury while exercising.

An inquest held into the deaths at Exeter’s Coroners Court (pictured) on Monday heard that three of their five dogs were also found dead at their home in Station Road, Cullompton

She was not able to work again afterwards or complete her training. After moving to Thailand the couple were involved in a moped accident and both injured their backs.

Mrs Coombes said: ‘Since then is when her really significant pain started. She spent most of her time in bed in agony. She described it as like rubbing sand into a cut all the time.’

She added: ‘She regularly rang in tears about being unable to cope with the pain.’

The couple later moved to Wales – where the neighbour dispute took place. They relocated to be with Mrs Collins’s family before Christmas 2020 after Mr Collins served eight months in prison.

Mrs Coombes had been aware her daughter had struggled with suicidal thoughts but hoped she would not act on them. She said it was her belief that the culmination of pain she was in, their ‘troubles’ in Wales and the latest police investigation had led to her death.

The mother added: ‘I can 100 per cent say Francis wouldn’t have killed her. They were devoted and soulmates and he said if anything happened to Cassie he would kill himself as she was everything to him.’

A post-mortem examination stated the cause of Mrs Collins’s death was the combined toxic effects of two drugs. The cause of her husband’s death was asphyxia due to hanging. He was also found to have taken a substantial about of alprazolam which was ‘likely’ to have caused intoxication.

A police investigation confirmed there was no third-party involvement or suspicious circumstances surrounding their deaths. During a search of their home, a video of Mrs Collins – dated September 8 – was recovered stating she was going to take her own life and that she would not be in pain anymore. End of life notes were also found in the property.

Recording a conclusion of suicide for both deaths, Alison Longhorn, area coroner for Exeter and greater Devon, said: ‘I am satisfied, on the balance of probabilities, both Cassie and Francis have taken their own lives and intended to do so.’

Addressing their family, she said: ‘This is particularly tragic circumstances and I can’t imagine how it has been to deal with the loss of not one but of both of them.’

In March 2021, it was reported that Mr Collins had moved to Devon for a fresh start after fire bombing his neighbours’ house. 

A court in Wales heard details of the attack by Mr Collins after a row over a rural plot of land escalated into a campaign of ‘sinister’ threatening emails and ended with a firebomb attack.

Both parties in the dispute had moved to Carmarthenshire in search of the good life. Mr Collins pleaded guilty to stalking involving fear of violence or serious alarm or distress on the day he was due to stand trial.

For confidential support call Samaritans on 116123 or visit www.samaritans.org.

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