Deepak Sandhu, a 24-year-old Indian national, has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of murdering 39-year-old Xiaoqing Ke at an Airbnb bedsit in Earl’s Court, west London.
The court heard that Sandhu stabbed Ms Ke to death in December last year after she confronted him over money he had taken from her and ended their relationship. A jury at the Old Bailey also found him guilty of perverting the course of justice in connection with his attempted departure from the country.
Victim Found Dead With Fatal Neck Injury
Ms Ke was discovered face down on the bedroom floor of the property on December 10, 2025. She had suffered catastrophic injuries, including a deep stab wound to the neck that proved fatal.
Doorbell camera footage showed Sandhu arriving at the Airbnb with his face covered and wearing a baseball cap. He left approximately 90 minutes later.
Sandhu denied killing Ms Ke, telling the jury that she was alive when he left and insisting that he had not been responsible for her death.
Relationship Began in Southampton
Sandhu and Ms Ke first met in March 2025 while she was working in a brothel in Southampton. At the time, Sandhu, who speaks Punjabi, was a customer of Ms Ke, who spoke Mandarin.
The pair subsequently began a secret relationship and communicated through a translation application. They remained in contact after Ms Ke moved to London.
Their relationship deteriorated after Ms Ke discovered that Sandhu had taken £500 from her handbag and had lied to her about several aspects of his life.
Court Hears Details of Sandhu’s Lies
Prosecutor Caroline Carberry KC described Sandhu as a fantasist who became obsessed with Ms Ke and was unable to accept her rejection.
The court heard that he claimed to be a model and actor who travelled to the United States for auditions. He also told Ms Ke that his sister lived in Southampton, although she was in India.
Sandhu further claimed to have attended his graduation ceremony at Southampton Solent University, despite having been removed from his course months earlier because of poor attendance.
He eventually admitted taking £500 from Ms Ke. However, the court heard that other claims he made, including that he had been robbed of £3,500 at gunpoint in the United States and worked at a bank earning £6,000 a month, were untrue.
Sandhu had arrived in the UK on a student visa in September 2024. His visa was revoked six months later after he dropped out of university, but he remained in the country.
Messages Revealed Anger Over Rejection
As Ms Ke became aware of Sandhu’s dishonesty, she demanded repayment and told him not to visit her.
In a message cited in court, she told him: “Don’t come see me. I’m clear, I’m not a fool.”
The prosecution said Sandhu responded by telling Ms Ke’s former brothel boss that she would regret what she had done.
WhatsApp messages also showed Sandhu expressing anger and asking an associate whether he should take revenge on Ms Ke.
At the same time, he continued asking her to give him another chance, claiming that he had the money he owed her. He also promised that a contact could help her obtain British citizenship.
Carberry told the jury that Ms Ke had recognised Sandhu’s true character and was no longer willing to accept his explanations.
Sandhu Travelled to London Armed With a Knife
After repeatedly contacting Ms Ke and promising to return her money, Sandhu left Southampton for London on December 9, 2025, carrying a knife.
According to the prosecution, he went to the Airbnb where Ms Ke was staying and was captured on doorbell camera footage arriving with his face concealed. He remained at the property for about 90 minutes before leaving.
Following the killing, Sandhu contacted his sister in India and booked a flight from Birmingham to Mumbai.
He was arrested on December 12, 2025, while travelling on a National Express coach from Southampton towards Birmingham Airport. Officers stopped him as he attempted to make his way to the airport.
The court heard that he was wearing the same blood-stained jacket visible in CCTV footage recorded around the time of the killing.
Defendant Denied Murder Despite Admitting Dishonesty
During the trial, Sandhu acknowledged that he had lied to Ms Ke about being an actor and had taken her money. He said he had struggled financially while working in construction and relying on assistance from family members.
He told the jury that he had felt desperate before travelling to London and was worried that Ms Ke would demand repayment. However, he denied going there to seek revenge.
Sandhu claimed that Ms Ke had told him to wait in a laundry room while she was with a customer. He said he later heard an argument and saw blood in the flat but did not see who had killed her.
He described himself as a person incapable of murder and rejected the allegation that he had killed Ms Ke.
The jury deliberated for approximately two hours before finding him guilty of murder and attempting to pervert the course of justice by trying to flee the country.
Police Describe Evidence of Fixation and Abusive Messages
Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Jolley, who led the investigation, said the case had been particularly painful for Ms Ke’s family.
He said investigators uncovered evidence that Sandhu had become fixated on Ms Ke and had sent her controlling and abusive messages in the months leading up to her death.
Jolley said the investigation established evidence of Sandhu’s presence at the scene and his conduct towards Ms Ke before the killing.
He added that tackling violence against women and girls remained a priority for police and that officers would continue working to identify offenders and bring them to justice.
CPS Says Prosecution Exposed Sandhu’s Lies
Shikha Varma of the Crown Prosecution Service said Ms Ke had seen through Sandhu’s repeated lies and ended their relationship, after which he carried out what she described as a calculated and brutal attack.
Varma said prosecutors presented extensive evidence concerning Sandhu’s anger towards Ms Ke and his presence at the scene, despite his repeated denials and efforts to evade justice.
She said the CPS remained committed to prosecuting perpetrators of violence against women and girls and ensuring they faced the consequences of their crimes.
The prosecution also extended its condolences to Ms Ke’s family and friends, expressing hope that the conviction and sentence would bring them some measure of justice.
