Man who texted he would 'become evil' is convicted of stabbing girlfriend to death before fleeing Earl's Court

Deepak Sandhu, 24, an Indian national whose student visa had been revoked after dropping out of Southampton Solent University, bought knives at an Asda before travelling to Xiaoqing Ke's Earl's Court Airbnb on December 9, 2025, where he stabbed her to death in what prosecutors called a 'brutal and fatal revenge attack'. Ke, 39, a Chinese national, had discovered that Sandhu had taken £500 from her without her knowledge and demanded he repay it before ending their relationship. At the Old Bailey, the jury needed only two hours of deliberation to return guilty verdicts on charges of murder and perverting the course of justice.

Sandhu disguised his appearance to gain entry to Ke's flat, then remained for 90 minutes after killing her before booking a flight to Mumbai.

He was arrested two days after the murder on a National Express coach heading to Birmingham Airport, moments from boarding.

Prosecutor Caroline Carberry KC told the court Sandhu was an 'obsessed, manipulative young man' who had deceived Ke into believing he was a model and actor, when he was in fact working as a casual labourer.