Richard Burton and Amanda Hutton moved from Surrey to Pembrokeshire in 2018, seeking a calmer pace of life in rural Wales. They settled in Fox Hill, living in a converted double-decker bus while renovating an old farmhouse. Initially, the couple felt carefree and described the time as "magical." But their dream turned into a nightmare when new neighbours, Francis and Cassie Collins, bought 36 acres of land next door.
A Friendly Start Turns Sinister
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Richard said the relationship started well; the Collins took them out for dinner and seemed "very friendly." However, things soured after Richard and Amanda gave Francis £25,000 to buy paddocks surrounding their home. Francis, a former paratrooper trainee, accepted the money but then refused to let them access the land. A lawsuit followed, and soon a campaign of terror began.
Francis sent dozens of disturbing emails, threatening to set fire to their home and making death threats. One email read: "You will lose everything you love and I will make you watch." Another said: "You're about to have the worst week of your life, I'm so excited. You're facing bankruptcy, and worse. And you don't even know why yet, lmao. Ya lost."
Living in Fear
The couple lived in constant fear, with Amanda twice considering suicide. Speaking to the Times, she said: "I just felt so worthless throughout it all. Talking about it now is still hard." Despite paying the £25,000, they received no Land Registry documentation. Francis began sending disturbing WhatsApp images of machetes and crossbows and patrolled the land in a balaclava. Months later, he refused to sell the paddocks but did not return the money.
He attacked their furniture restoration business with fake orders and reported them for fraud. When they launched civil proceedings, he threatened to rape and murder Amanda's daughter. The situation escalated when Francis launched three homemade petrol bombs at their bus one night. Richard and Amanda were sleeping in the farmhouse at the time; first responders flooded the scene. Hours later, Francis and Cassie stood at the boundary, glaring at them.
Legal Consequences and a Tragic End
In May 2020, Francis was charged with arson, possession of a firearm without a certificate, and stalking involving fear of violence. The couple expected him to receive five years in prison, but after seven months on remand and pleading guilty, he was released. Richard told the Times: "Everyone was gobsmacked. Even the police."
An agreement was reached, and the Collins relocated to Cullompton in late 2020. In September 2021, Amanda received a call from police while hoovering: Francis and Cassie had been found dead in a suicide pact. Cassie, who endured chronic pain, took a fentanyl overdose, while Francis hanged himself. Their three dogs were also euthanised.
Amanda expressed mixed feelings: "We had known them. They were trapped in a situation they didn’t want to be in any more. But it was a shame they had to wreck our lives before they left." Richard and Amanda no longer live in Fox Hill farmhouse but reside nearby. They have published a book about their ordeal, Stalked: A Harrowing True Story of Stalking, Strength and Survival in Rural Wales.
