A university student has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his housemate, Jamie Collins, in Gloucestershire. Zack Coughlan, 23, was found guilty of stabbing Collins, 21, 30 times in the garden of their shared home in Filton on April 8. The court heard that Coughlan lay in wait for Collins to return home before launching a brutal attack.

Details of the Attack

Coughlan, dressed in black and wearing a mask and gloves, ambushed Collins shortly before 6 PM as he cycled home from the University of the West of England (UWE), where both were studying robotics. After the attack, Coughlan left Collins dying in an alleyway and fled the scene on his housemate’s bike.

During the trial at Bristol Crown Court, Coughlan initially denied the murder but changed his plea to guilty. Mr. Justice Linden, who sentenced him to a minimum of 28 years, described Collins as a “gentle soul” and dismissed Coughlan’s claims that Collins had previously threatened him.

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“He [Collins] was caught totally unaware by you and was utterly defenceless,” said Justice Linden.