Neighbours tell of their shock as husband faces murder charge

Mrs Collier, 55, was found dead at her home in Charter Road, Chippenham, at 6.30am on Saturday after a call was made for an ambulance. Her 52-year-old husband Chris was later arrested and then charged with her murder.

Floral tributes have been left outside the couple's home by people in Charter Road and neighbouring Royal Close, who have said they regularly saw her out and about. Mrs Collier's mobility scooter was still outside the family's ground floor maisonette this week.

A paramedic in a response car was first on the scene on Saturday morning, after responding to a 999 call made at 6.16am reporting a woman in her 50s was unconscious. They arrived to find Mrs Collier 's body.

Police were called to Charter Road just after 6.30am.

Neighbour Gavin Vines said: “It’s a real shame; she’s going to be missed by a lot of people especially by her closest neighbours.

“She was a fragile lady but very nice and was very friendly, we were really surprised to hear about it and find it hard to believe.

“I think it shook up a lot of people up around here. We won’t see her now which is quite sad.”

Another neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: “I knew her well, I probably lived next door to her for about three or four years and it’s a shock. You would always see her around the estate in her wheelchair and I always used to speak with her all the time.”

Fellow resident of Charter Road, Chelsea Carter, said: “She was a lovely lady, every day you would see her out and about going to town and back. Everyone knew who she was and would say hello as she came past.”

Local resident Peter Habkirk, owho left flowers at the house, added: “It’s just a sad situation, I’ve lived here for about 25 years and everyone is just numbed by this.”

Collier, appeared before magistrates in Swindon on Monday charged with the murder of his wife between September 3 and 6. He appeared again in Bristol Crown Court yesterday, when he was remanded until December 1.