The Guardian
·Jul 2026
‘He hadn’t been trying to scare us. He’d been trying to kill us’: how stalker neighbours turned our dream home into a nightmare
A couple’s move to a rural Welsh farmhouse descended into years of escalating harassment and violence from neighbouring landowners Francis and Cassie Collins, who manipulated them financially, trespassed repeatedly, vandalised their property, destroyed their water supply and ultimately carried out armed attacks including firing ball bearings and a petrol bomb assault intended to cause serious harm. Despite police involvement, delays in civil proceedings and a later plea deal left the victims feeling justice was incomplete. Francis was eventually charged with multiple offences and remanded, but released after a plea agreement. A year later, Francis and Cassie died in a double suicide in Devon, leaving unanswered questions about their motives. The victims later reflected on the trauma, their recovery and the resilience they found in the land they fought to protect.