Student who stabbed housemate to death in Gloucestershire jailed for life

Zack Coughlan, 23, has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 28 years after pleading guilty to murdering his housemate, Jamie Collins, 21. The attack occurred on April 8 in Filton, South Gloucestershire, shortly before 6pm when Collins returned from the University of the West of England (UWE) Bristol where both were final-year robotics students. Coughlan ambushed Collins in the garden and stabbed him more than 30 times before leaving his body to die for eight hours while he cycled away on Collins' bicycle, dressed in black with a mask and gloves. CCTV footage showed the "carefully planned and cold-blooded execution," according to prosecutors. Coughlan initially denied murder but changed his plea to guilty during trial proceedings, leading Judge Justice Linden to sentence him based on evidence that Collins was described as a "gentle soul" who had no violent tendencies. The judge also dismissed Coughlan's claims of self-defense due to threats from Collins, emphasizing the premeditated nature of the crime. Both men lived together in Filton, where the murder took place near their home. Collins' family expressed grief and described him as kind and looking forward to finishing his studies at UWE before returning home to Swansea shortly after. The attack has been deemed a senseless act with no clear motive known by investigators or the court. Coughlan's defense argued he felt threatened, but evidence did not support this claim. His guilty plea came days before his sentencing on October 21st, following a trial at Bristol Crown Court where prosecutors highlighted the brutality and premeditation of the murder. The case highlights the tragic loss of Collins' life in what remains an unexplained act of violence.