A university robotics student has admitted to killing his housemate and leaving his body in an alleyway for eight hours before calling 999.
asserted
student → admit → 999
Zack Coughlan, 23, previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denies murdering Jamie Collins, 21, by the garden of their home in Filton, south Gloucestershire, on grounds he feared for his life.
asserted
he → plead → life
Coughlan was dressed all in black and wore a mask and gloves to ambush Mr Collins as he returned from UWE Bristol shortly before 6pm on April 8.
Mr Collins, originally from Swansea, south Wales, allegedly sustained 30 stab wounds in the incident and died from his injuries.
uncertain
Collins → dress → injuries
Coughlan allegedly left him to die in an alleyway and cycled away on his housemate's bicycle.
uncertain
Coughlan → leave → bicycle
The pair were said to have rowed over the amount of rent Coughlan was charging Mr Collins, who was also a robotics student.
asserted
who → say → Collins
Mr Collins allegedly threatened to kill Coughlan because the defendant was charging rent.
uncertain
defendant → threaten → rent
Coughlan told the court he was 'terrified' by Mr Collins who said he was 'looking forward to killing [Coughlan]'.
asserted
he → tell → Coughlan
Jamie Collins, 21, was killed by his flatmate and robotics student Zack Coughlan, 23
Coughlan dressed all in black and wore a mask and gloves to ambush Mr Collins as he returned from UWE Bristol shortly before 6pm on April 8
Mr Collins, originally from Swansea, south Wales, allegedly sustained 30 stab wounds in the incident and died from his injuries
On Friday, Coughlan began giving evidence at his trial at Bristol Crown Court and told the jury he accepted being the figure dressed in black that was captured killing Mr Collins on CCTV footage.
Dan Pawson-Pounds KC, representing Coughlan, asked: 'Do you accept that you killed Jamie Collins?'
uncertain
you → kill → Collins
Coughlan replied: 'Yes.'
asserted
Coughlan → reply → ?
Mr Pawson-Pounds asked: 'Do you accept that you left his body by the rear gate for just under eight and a half hours before calling the emergency services?'
Coughlan said: 'Yes.'
He admitted lying to police and friends about what had happened to Mr Collins.
When asked about how he felt about that now, Coughlan replied: 'Horrible.'
asserted
Coughlan → ask → that
But he denied murder on the grounds that he acted out of fear for his own life.
asserted
he → deny → life
Mr Collins allegedly told Coughlan that locking his bedroom door 'wasn't going to help' after threatening the defendant with a knife.
uncertain
locking → tell → knife
Coughlan later ambushed Mr Collins, stabbing him 30 times and leaving him for dead.
asserted
Coughlan → ambush → him
Coughlan, who is half Danish and grew up in Cork, Ireland, moved to Bristol to study robotics at the age of 19.
asserted
who → grow → 19
Mr Collins (pictured) was left to die in an alleyway for eight hours
Coughlan and Mr Collins (pictured) were both final-year robotics students at the University of the West of England (UWE), and lived together in a house in Filton owned by the defendant
He described suffering violence at the hands of his father while growing up and said his mother, who worked for Apple, was often away working.
asserted
who → picture → Apple
Coughlan said he was a 'high achiever' and was expecting to graduate university with a first-class degree but became 'stressed and overwhelmed' in the weeks leading up to Mr Collins's death.
asserted
he → say → death
In July 2024, his mother lent him £300,000 to purchase a three-bedroom house in Cleve Road, Filton, which he lived in with two fellow robotics students – including Mr Collins.
asserted
he → lend → Collins
Initially, Coughlan charged his housemates £650 rent plus bills per month before reducing this to £600 and later to £500, he said.
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he → charge → 500
He told the court this money was spent on purchasing white goods for the property and dealing with issues relating to mould and rats.
asserted
money → tell → mould
Coughlan insisted that a 3D printer he owned was a gift from his family and that he had used savings to fund an expensive jacket but his housemates were not aware of this.
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housemates → insist → this
In January, he spoke to Mr Collins after noticing he was becoming 'hostile' towards him, the defendant said.
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defendant → speak → him
'I asked him what was wrong,' Coughlan said.
asserted
Coughlan → ask → him
He said it was disgusting to charge your friends rent.
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it → say → rent
I was shocked, to be honest, he hadn't told me anything about this before.
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he → tell → this
He spoke of exploitation.
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He → speak → exploitation
I eventually decided to drop the rent entirely.'
asserted
I → decide → rent
CCTV footage of Jamie Collins on the day of his death
He added: 'I cared about my friends.
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I → add → friends
I wanted to help them.
asserted
I → want → them
Coughlan said Mr Collins was still 'reluctant' to pay bills, despite the rent being removed.
asserted
rent → say → bills
Coughlan told the jury that Mr Collins would talk about landlords and multinational corporations being to blame for social inequality.
asserted
landlords → tell → inequality
Coughlan said: 'He didn't feel that rent should be charged and there was a lot of inequality and that was a landlord's fault.
'
asserted
that → say → inequality
I thought he was my friend so I didn't want to believe that he meant any harm.
asserted
he → think → harm
'
'I had thought I should suggest that maybe it is better we didn't live together because of how upset he was,' Coughlan told the court.
'
asserted
Coughlan → think → court
I wish I had.
asserted
I → wish → ?
I think he had a kitchen knife in his hand and he said he looked forward to killing me.
'
asserted
he → think → me
He said what I had done was disgusting and that I was scum and he was looking forward to killing people like me - I was so frightened.
asserted
I → say → me
'
'I went to my room,' he told the court, in tears.
asserted
he → go → tears
'I hid under the covers and I locked my door,' Coughlan added.
asserted
Coughlan → hide → door
The court previously heard that Mr Collins planned to move out of the house at the end of his studies, in June, and return to Swansea.
asserted
Collins → hear → Swansea
On April 8, Coughlan waited in an alleyway for 20 minutes before Mr Collins returned from university.
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Collins → wait → university
…and 11 more, not listed.
The Aporia
