Man, 36, and woman, 35, found dead with their dogs in suicide pact after police probe over firebomb neighbour row
A MAN and a woman have been found dead with their dogs after making a suicide pact.
Married couple Francis Collins, 36, and Cassie, 35, were tragically discovered by a family member at their home, in Cullompton, Devon, on September 11, 2021.
The “soulmates” who couldn’t live without each other, took their own lives shortly after putting two out of five of their dogs to sleep.
Three dogs in total were dead when Cassie was found in the bedroom of their home while Francis was discovered in the hallway.
Cassie, a student nurse, and Francis, who used to serve in the military, had been together for 11 years and were “really good together and joined at the hip”.
However, a police probe into a neighbour row meant the pair were worried everything could be taken from them.
Francis had recently been jailed for throwing homemade firebombs onto a neighbour’s drive following a civil dispute.
The disagreement was over the ownership of a piece of land when the Collins’ lived in Wales.
They relocated to Devon shortly after Francis’ eight month sentence was up.
Francis was said to have been diagnosed with ADHD and had a long history of depression and anxiety.
Cassie’s mum Deborah Coombes said her daughter struggled with suicidal thoughts following the “troubles” in Wales and after enduring years of chronic pain due to an injury.
She said: “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.”
An inquest at Exeter Coroner’s Court on June 5 heard Cassie’s sister Jodie reveal the pair had spoken about suicide before.
In a statement she said: “Cassie had said a couple of years ago that if they were going to kill themselves they would kill the dogs as well as they wouldn’t want anyone else looking after them.
“I think this was the tipping point.”
An investigation by the local police force confirmed there was no third-party involvement or suspicious circumstances surrounding their deaths.
Recording a conclusion of suicide for both deaths, Alison Longhorn 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.”
You're Not Alone
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
- Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
- Movember, www.uk.movember.com
- Anxiety UK www.anxietyuk.org.uk, 03444 775 774 Monday-Friday 9.30am-10pm, Saturday/Sunday 10am-8pm