By Daniel Cale-Caplan, News Reporter & Lenny Osler, News Editor
A former student at the University of the West of England (UWE) has been sentenced today to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 28 years, after pleading guilty to murdering his housemate and fellow student.
Zack Coughlan, 23, stabbed to death 21-year-old robotics student Jamie Collins at their shared address in Filton, north Bristol, on April 8.
Coughlan’s trial began on October 12 at Bristol Crown Court. He initially denied the murder charge, claiming he had killed Collins out of ‘fear for his own life’.
The 23-year-old waited for Collins to return home before ambushing him in their back garden in the evening of April 8, stabbing him over 30 times with a knife he purchased ‘well beforehand’.
The court heard that Collins’ murder was planned and premeditated. Before the murder, Coughlan purchased clothes he did not wear until carrying out the attack, and attempted to hide these in a pond afterwards.
Coughlan’s extensive efforts to conceal evidence of the murder, and create an alibi of his activities that day, aggravated his sentence.
After killing Collins, the 23-year-old waited over 8 hours before dialling 999. He then lied to police, feigning disbelief and claiming ‘roadmen’ had murdered his housemate.
Coughlan reportedly recorded himself on his own CCTV cameras leaving the address, dressed in clothes concealing his identity.
He then showed police this footage alongside an alibi, in an attempt to divert suspicion away from him.
Judge Thomas Linden agreed the violence of Coughlan’s attack was excessive and sustained, since he struck Collins multiple times after he had fallen to the floor.
The judge did, however, acknowledge Coughlan’s age and lack of previous convictions in the final sentence.
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Cara Hene
While Judge Linden said the motive remained ‘unclear’, Collins’ family indicated Coughlan may have felt ‘jealous’ of the 21-year-old for his popularity, and that their ‘friends liked Jamie more than him’.
Jamie’s stepmother, Lisa Jane Collins, said the events had ‘affected our family in a deep, lasting and profound way.’
In a tribute, Jamie’s family called him as a ‘sensitive and caring young man’, whose ‘passion for equality stood out to everyone’.
Jamie was described as ‘incredibly bright’ with a ‘promising future ahead of him’.
Collecting his posthumously-awarded degree, Jamie’s family said they were ‘pleased to see his friends collect their degrees, but it was another emotional and painful reminder of what we have lost.’
UWE Vice-Chancellor, Prof Sir Steve West, said in a statement:
‘Our thoughts are with Jamie’s family and the immeasurable pain they have endured since his death.
‘We’ll remember Jamie as a valued member of the robotics student community, and an active member of student societies. He was a natural engineer, keen in robotics, a hard worker and only weeks away from completing his degree. Jamie had completed enough credits and assessments during his studies that we were able to award him a completed 2:1 degree in July, accepted by his family.
‘Staff within the School of Engineering and the wider university community have been deeply affected by the circumstances of his death. The details which have emerged during the trial are shocking, and particularly difficult for several of his university friends who were called as witnesses. The number of friends and university staff who attended both Jamie’s memorial and the court trial is testament to how much he was cared for.’
Featured image: Epigram / Daniel Cale-Caplan
