Student pleads guilty to murdering housemate in garden attack

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 20 Oct, 16:08 · Archive

A 23-year-old university student has pleaded guilty to stabbing his 21-year-old housemate 30 times in their garden.

Zack Coughlan, 23, has pleaded guilty to murdering his housemate James Collins, 21. Coughlan had initially denied the charge but changed his plea after a legal ruling by trial judge Mr Justice Linden prevented consideration of a partial defence of manslaughter by reason of loss of control.

Coughlan ambushed Collins in the garden of their shared home in Filton, South Gloucestershire, on 8 April. He dressed entirely in black, wore gloves and a mask, then stabbed Collins 30 times in what prosecutors described as a 'carefully planned and cold-blooded execution'. Coughlan then cycled away on Collins's bike, leaving him dying in the alleyway.

After fleeing the scene, Coughlan dumped the bike at a nearby retail park, bought a change of clothes and disposed of his bloodstained garments in a pond, placing them in a carrier bag weighted down with bricks. Both Collins and Coughlan were students at UWE Bristol, where Collins was studying robotics.

Coughlan will be sentenced on Wednesday morning.

How it is being reported

• University robotics student who stabbed housemate 30 times in 'cold-blooded execution' after row over rent admits murderZack Coughlan, 23, was dressed all in black and wore a mask and gloves to ambush Jamie Collins, 21, in the garden of their home in Filton, South Gloucestershire.Daily Mail · 20 Oct, 16:28
• 'Cold-blooded' student stabbed housemate 30 times to death after lying in wait in their gardenZack Coughlan dressed in all black and covered his face and hands when he ambushed Jamie Collins in the garden of their home in Filton, South GloucestershireThe Mirror · 20 Oct, 15:49
• Student admits murder of housemate found stabbed 30 times in ‘cold-blooded execution’Zack Coughlan admitted murdering his housemate earlier this yearThe Independent · 20 Oct, 14:48

In this story: Zack Coughlan · James Collins · Bristol Crown Court · Filton · South Gloucestershire · UWE Bristol

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem