A CORONER in the case of West Somerset teacher Stephen Chapple and his wife Jennifer, who were murdered by their next-door neighbour, has called on the Army to stop giving out weapons as retirement gifts.

Somerset coroner Samantha Marsh has asked Defence Secretary Ben Wallace to reconsider the appropriateness of such gifts when Service personnel retire.

Mr and Mrs Chapple, who lived in Norton Fitzwarren, were killed by former Commando Collin Reeves in November, 2021.

The weapon Reeves used was a ceremonial dagger which had been presented to him when he left the Royal Engineers.

He took it from a display case on the wall of his home, climbed over the fence dividing their back gardens, and stabbed Mr and Mrs Chapple to death in their living room while their two young children were upstairs asleep in bed.

In a letter to the Minister, Mrs Marsh 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.”

The Defence Secretary has until April 25 to respond to the coroner's report.

The plea by Mrs Marsh was made in a ‘prevention of future deaths report’ which she was required to prepare, and Mr Wallace has to respond by April 25.

Reeves was convicted of the couple’s murder after failing to persuade a jury to accept a manslaughter plea on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

He was jailed for life in June of last year and ordered to serve a minimum of 38 years before being able to apply for parole.

Mr Chapple was a teacher in the West Somerset College, Minehead.