A student who stabbed his housemate more than 30 times in a masked ambush has changed his murder plea to guilty.
Zack Coughlan, 23, attacked Jamie Collins, 21, in an alleyway near the garden of their home on 8 April and then left his body outside for eight hours before calling police.
A murder trial had been under way at Bristol Crown Court because Coughlan initially denied the charge, although he did admit killing Collins. He told jurors he stabbed Collins because he feared his housemate would kill him.
However, Coughlan, of Cleve Road, Filton, has now changed his plea to guilty and will be sentenced for murder on Wednesday.
Describing him as “a sensitive and caring young man”, Collins’ family said he had been “looking forward to finishing his journey” at the University of the West of England (UWE) and returning home to Swansea “in a matter of weeks”.
“His passion for equality stood out to everyone who knew him. His unapologetic inclusivity will be his legacy for all of us. We know he was heading for a hugely successful future following his engineering and robotics degree,” they added.