Student lay in wait for housemate before stabbing him 30 times, Bristol court hears

Student accused of stabbing housemate 30 times in Bristol

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A university student, Zack Coughlan, 23, is accused of murdering his housemate, Jamie Collins, 21, in Bristol. The incident occurred on 8 April, when Collins returned home from campus on his bike.

According to the prosecution, Coughlan lay in wait for Collins in the garden of their shared home near the University of West England. He allegedly attacked Collins shortly before 6pm, stabbing him 30 times.

Coughlan then cycled away on Collins's bike, dumped it at a nearby retail park, and bought a change of clothes. He threw his bloodstained clothing into a pond and returned to the house at about 9pm.

The court heard that Coughlan put a pizza in the oven and did some online gaming with friends before calling the police at 2am, eight hours later. He claimed to have found Collins's body in the garden and told police he had noticed the back gate was open.

However, the prosecution stated that the attack was caught on CCTV installed at the house, which Coughlan showed officers. He initially treated Coughlan as a witness, but as the evidence mounted, he became a suspect.

Coughlan had injuries to his hands, which he claimed were caused by falling while climbing trees. He now accepts that he killed Collins but denies murder, stating that he 'lost his self-control' during the attack.

The prosecution noted that there had been disagreements between Coughlan and Collins about rent and whether Coughlan was charging too much, but these appeared to have been resolved.

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