Story perspectives

UK Student Pleads Guilty to Murdering Housemate James Collins

By Drooid · Oct 21, 2026, 10:52 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

UK university student Zack Coughlan pleaded guilty to murdering housemate James Collins in Filton, South Gloucestershire.
The killing occurred shortly before 6 pm on 8 April 2026 after Collins returned from UWE Bristol.
Coughlan stabbed Collins 30 times in the garden.
The court barred a manslaughter defence, so the jury considered only the murder charge.
At about 2 am Coughlan called 999 claiming he had just found Collins’s body.

1 of 1

Story summary

UK university student Zack Coughlan pleaded guilty to murdering housemate James Collins in Filton, South Gloucestershire.
The killing occurred shortly before 6 pm on 8 April 2026 after Collins returned from UWE Bristol.
Coughlan stabbed Collins 30 times in the garden.
The court barred a manslaughter defence, so the jury considered only the murder charge.
At about 2 am Coughlan called 999 claiming he had just found Collins’s body.