Student Who Stabbed Housemate 30 Times Admits Murder
Source reports published 20 Oct 2026, 11:13 pm – 21 Oct 2026, 7:38 am AEST
A UWE Bristol student, Zack Coughlan, has admitted to murdering Jamie Collins, whom he stabbed 30 times in an ambush. The crime, meticulously planned and captured on CCTV, involved a staged discovery of the victim's body.
What happened
- Zack Coughlan, a 23-year-old student at the University of the West of England (UWE) Bristol, admitted to murdering Jamie Collins, a 21-year-old fellow robotics student, after initially denying the charge.
- Coughlan attacked Collins in an alleyway near their shared home in Filton on 8 April, stabbing him 30 times.
- Following the attack, Coughlan left Collins’ body outside for eight hours before calling police.
- The crime was recorded on CCTV footage that Coughlan had installed, capturing the entire event and the subsequent staging of the scene.
- He then discarded the bike, changed his clothes, and disposed of bloodstained clothing in a pond, attempting to conceal his involvement.
- Despite claiming he feared Collins would kill him, investigators, led by Detective Chief Inspector Lucy Edgeworth, stated that the motive for the murder remains unclear, citing disputes over rent and differing political views.
- The family of Jamie Collins described him as a "sensitive and caring young man" looking forward to completing his degree and returning home.
- Collins was posthumously awarded a 2:1 degree in engineering and robotics.
- The investigation revealed inconsistencies in Coughlan’s statements, including claims of injuring his hands and the unusual timing of his call to police.
Original reporting
- BBC: UWE Bristol student murdered housemate by stabbing him 30 times
2026-10-20T13:13:26.500000+00:00 - GB News: Student who stabbed his housemate 30 times admits murder
2026-10-20T21:38:55+00:00