University robotics student who stabbed housemate 30 times in ‘cold-blooded execution’ after row over rent admits murder
Zack Coughlan, a 23-year-old robotics student, has pleaded guilty to murdering his housemate Jamie Collins, 21, after a dispute over rent. Prosecutors described the attack at their home in Filton, South Gloucestershire, as planned; Coughlan had initially denied murder but admitted killing Collins.
Collins was attacked shortly before 6pm on 8 April and was left dying in an alleyway. CCTV, phone analysis and blood evidence helped trace Coughlan’s movements, including his attempt to dispose of his clothes and his return home, where he later called emergency services. He had claimed he acted out of fear, but investigators said there was no evidence to support that account; he is due to be sentenced on Wednesday.
- Zack Coughlan admitted murdering housemate Jamie Collins.
- The pair had argued over rent.
- Coughlan is due to be sentenced on Wednesday.
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The case concerns the killing of Jamie Collins, 21, by his housemate Zack Coughlan, then a 23-year-old robotics student. They shared a home in Filton, South Gloucestershire, and prosecutors said a dispute about rent lay behind the attack.
In a criminal case, a guilty plea to murder means the defendant admits unlawfully killing someone with the required intent for that offence. The court will decide the sentence, taking account of the law and the circumstances of the case.