Amanda Hutton and Richard Burton moved to Fox Hill, a dilapidated stone farmhouse in Pembrokeshire, West Wales, in 2018 seeking an escape from their busy lives. They had run a bathtub painting company in Suffolk and were burned out. They moved into a converted double-decker bus on the land while renovating the property.
New Neighbors Turn Hostile
Six months after moving in, a BMW pulled into their driveway. Francis and Cassie Collins, a couple in their 30s, introduced themselves as new neighbors buying adjacent land. Initially friendly, the two couples formed a WhatsApp group. Amanda, 58, and Richard, 60, planned to buy a small piece of land from the Collinses and gave them £10,000 as a deposit, followed by £15,000 for two paddocks. But when they asked for Land Registry documentation, the relationship soured.
The Collinses began sending pictures of weapons—machetes and crossbows—on WhatsApp. Francis changed his profile picture to a Harley Davidson; Richard Googled the cost and found it was £25,000, concluding the Collinses had spent their money on the bike. Amanda received hundreds of WhatsApp messages daily. The couple began trespassing, wearing bodycams, and filming Amanda while Francis mimicked slitting his throat.
Escalation and Police Involvement
The harassment continued for years. The Collinses let their Dobermans attack Amanda and Richard's four dogs, turning them from happy pets to terrified animals. They also messaged Amanda's adult daughter, Grace. Police became involved, urging the Collinses to stay away, but the stalking persisted. In 2019, Francis cut their water pipe repeatedly. He erected two-meter-high palisade security fencing topped with jagged spikes along the boundary, which Amanda described as a message that they were trapped.
In 2020, Amanda saw Francis and Cassie doing target practice with a crossbow at their fence. Later that night, two windows shattered from 10mm ball bearings fired from a crossbow. Amanda said, 'My whole body was shaking... What if we'd been in bed?' Police arrested Francis, but after his release, he firebombed the farmhouse.
Court Case and Aftermath
In 2021, Francis pleaded guilty to malicious communications and the petrol bomb incidents. He walked free because a seven-month stint served on remand was considered sufficient punishment. Amanda and Richard learned Francis was under police surveillance for a larger crime ring involving drugs. A restraining order was issued, and the Collinses moved to Devon.
In June 2023, police informed Amanda and Richard that Francis and Cassie had been found dead at home alongside their dogs in an apparent suicide pact. Amanda said, 'It was a strange mix of emotions. Obviously there was relief... But there was sadness, too.'
Rebuilding Lives
Amanda and Richard have written a book, Stalked (£10.99, HarperElement, out July 16), to tell their story and find catharsis. Amanda said, 'We wrote this to tell our side of the story... Now our focus is on healing.' They hope to finally enjoy the idyllic future they had dreamed of.
