{
  "id": 15876964,
  "title": "Student who murdered uni housemate jailed for life",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/21/student-who-murdered-uni-housemate-jailed-for-life",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-21T11:13:49.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC News",
    "slug": "bbc-news",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6pvglvpln91o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Zack Coughlan, a 23-year-old university student, has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 28 years for the brutal murder of his housemate, Jamie Collins, 21. The crime occurred in April when Coughlan ambushed Collins in the garden of their shared home near Bristol. Dressed in black and wearing a mask, Coughlan ambushed Collins and stabbed him 30 times before fleeing the scene and cycling away to dispose of evidence.\n\nCoughlan initially denied the murder charge, leading to a trial at Bristol Crown Court. However, he changed his plea to guilty on Tuesday, admitting to the heinous crime. During sentencing, Judge Justice Linden expressed shock at Coughlan's actions, stating that Collins was an idealistic and compassionate individual who cared deeply about societal issues. The judge emphasized the gravity of Coughlan's actions, noting that the defendant had been planning the murder for some time and seemed prepared to take the life of his housemate.",
  "summary": "Jamie Collins, 21, was ambushed and killed in the garden of the home he shared with his killer.",
  "key_points": [
    "Zack Coughlan, 23, sentenced to life in prison with 28 years minimum for Jamie Collins' murder.",
    "Collins, 21, ambushed and stabbed 30 times in April in Bristol.",
    "Judge Justice Linden expressed shock at Coughlan's premeditated actions."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The defendant's guilty plea and the premeditated nature of the attack underscore the extreme danger posed when shared student living arrangements are compromised by calculated violence.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}