Student admits murdering housemate in stabbing attack

Summarised from 2 outlets · 3 reports · Updated 20 Oct, 15:02 · Archive

A university student has admitted murdering his housemate after stabbing him more than 30 times.

Zack Coughlan, 23, attacked Jamie Collins, 21, in an alleyway near their shared home in Filton, South Gloucestershire on 8 April. Coughlan dressed in black with a mask and gloves and lay in wait for Collins to return from the University of the West of England (UWE), where both were final-year robotics students. He stabbed Collins more than 30 times, then cycled away on his housemate's bike, leaving Collins dying in the alleyway.

Coughlan disposed of evidence by dumping the bike at a retail park, buying a change of clothes and throwing his bloodstained clothing in a pond, weighed down with bricks. He left his housemate's body outside for eight hours before calling police.

Coughlan had initially denied murder, telling jurors he feared Collins would kill him and that he had 'no choice' in his actions. However, after Mr Justice Linden ruled that Coughlan's partial defence of loss of control could not be left to the jury, Coughlan changed his plea to guilty on Tuesday. BristolLive reports that the prosecutor described the attack as 'a carefully planned and cold-blooded execution'. Collins' family said he was 'kind' and 'gentle' and had been looking forward to finishing his degree and returning to Swansea. Coughlan will be sentenced on Wednesday.

How it is being reported

• Family of murdered UWE student 'sickened' at killer's 'deception''Our family has been sickened that Zack Coughlan pretended to help Jamie, when in fact he was responsible for killing him'BristolLive · 20 Oct, 15:18
• Student changes plea and admits murdering housemate in ‘cold-blooded execution’Zack Coughlan changed his plea during the trialBristolLive · 20 Oct, 14:47
• Student who stabbed housemate 30 times admits murderZack Coughlan now admits murdering Jamie Collins in the garden of their Bristol home.BBC Bristol · 20 Oct, 14:19

In this story: Zack Coughlan · Jamie Collins · Bristol Crown Court · University of the West of England · Filton · 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