Colin Reeves told the jury that he dived into his forehead, instinctively disguised himself, and admitted that he should have gone to the house of Jennifer and Steven Chapel then and killed them with the commando ritual dagger, although he insisted that it did not attack. Reeves, 35, told jurors in Bristol court that he was “trained to kill” and had been taught to fight close, use a bayonet and how to clean homes during civil operations. He said he had served in Afghanistan and lost friends and colleagues in the conflict, and told jurors that after his tour he did not have time to “decompress” because he had been taken to a military court for intoxication. Reeves admits to killing the Chapples, who were killed while their children slept upstairs in their home in the village of Somerset in Norton Fitzwarren, but denies the murder due to reduced responsibility. Stephen and Jennifer Chapple. Photo: Sam Malone / Avon and Somerset Police / PA Media He said that on the day of the murder – shortly after Remembrance Sunday last year – he visited a war memorial to pay tribute to his fallen colleagues and was arguing with his wife, Kylie Reeves, who had proposed a legal divorce. Reeves said he did not remember taking the dagger he was given when he left the army, from the living room wall. The jury saw security shots climbing over the fence separating their property. The former soldier said he remembered the bright light he was on. “I felt as if I had been seen or compromised. The white light has always been a trigger for something like firing a travel flare. “It was a feeling that something was going to happen.” Asked what he was trained to do, he replied: “To cover. “I was trying to get down on my belt buckle and lie down in front so that they would not see me.” He continued: “I had the feeling that it was me or them. I know it’s wrong, I should never have been there. “I feel ashamed, disgusted with myself for what I have done, that I cut Stephen and Jennifer’s lives while their children were in bed, causing pain and suffering to their families and friends.” Dr Karen Gough, a forensic psychologist, evaluated Reeves in prison and concluded that he was suffering from “complex PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder]», Depression and anxiety. He said: “I think Mr Reeves had a hard time recognizing the PTSD associated with his time in Afghanistan, as he felt that other soldiers had it much worse and were exposed to much more trauma and danger. “He did not appreciate the impact of what he saw with wounded soldiers returning to Camp Bastion [in Helmand Province] and the danger posed by prisoners. “ The trial continues.
