Zack Coughlan jailed 28 years for murdering housemate

Student’s housemate murder ends with life sentence

Zack Coughlan, 23, and Jamie Collins, 21, were final-year students at the University of the West of England and shared accommodation near Bristol.

On 8 April, Coughlan waited in the garden wearing a mask and dark clothing before attacking Collins with a knife. He inflicted 30 wounds before leaving the scene on his bicycle.

He then attempted to get rid of bloodstained evidence, while Collins lay fatally injured in an alleyway nearby.

In the hours following the killing, Coughlan went to a nearby retail park, where he left his bicycle and bought replacement clothes.

He later disposed of his blood-covered outfit by sealing it in carrier bags, adding bricks to weigh them down before throwing them into a pond.

(Image Credit: Avon and Somerset Police)

Back at the house, he ate pizza and spent time playing video games. He later explained his behaviour by saying he needed to “disconnect” from the events that had taken place.

Despite what had happened, Coughlan did not contact emergency services for another five hours.

Coughlan changed his plea only after trial had begun

Coughlan had pleaded not guilty when the case first came to court, but reversed his position once the trial was under way, admitting that he had killed Collins.

During sentencing, Justice Linden spoke about the victim’s outlook on life, describing him as a young man who took a keen interest in society and the challenges facing the wider world.

“Collins was an idealist who took an interest in the problems of the world and society,” the judge said.

Addressing Coughlan directly, he said he found the circumstances of the murder deeply shocking.

“It comes with great shock that anyone chose to do what you chose to do to him.”

The judge also said he believed the killing had been planned well in advance, telling the defendant: “I'm sure you were planning to kill Collins and had been for some time.”

Coughlan’s late change of plea drew further criticism from the judge, who noted that he had only admitted the offence after the trial had begun.

As reported by BBC News, Justice Linden told him: “Your guilty plea came at a point in the trial when your conviction was inevitable.”