Indian Man Who Came to UK on Student Visa but Had His Visa Cancelled Faces Life in Prison After Doing the Unthinkable to His Ex-Girlfriend for Ending Their Relationship

A 24-year-old Indian man who came to the UK on a student visa has been found guilty of murdering his former girlfriend after she ended their relationship.

Deepak Sandhu killed 39-year-old Xiaoqing Ke inside an Airbnb flat in Bayswater, west London, on December 9 last year. The court heard that he attacked her several times with a knife, leaving her dead in a pool of blood.

Sandhu had travelled from Southampton to London after buying a knife from his local Asda supermarket. Prosecutors said he had planned the attack because he was angry that Ms Ke had broken up with him.

The court was told that Sandhu originally entered the UK on a student visa. However, his visa had been cancelled nine months before the murder because he was not attending his classes regularly.

According to the prosecution, Ms Ke had been in a short relationship with Sandhu but decided to end it after discovering that he had stolen money from her and told her several lies.

Prosecutor Caroline Carberry KC described Sandhu as someone who regularly made up stories about himself. She said he had lied to Ms Ke about his achievements and position in life.

In the days before the killing, Sandhu reportedly became increasingly angry with Ms Ke and began talking about taking revenge.

Messages presented in court showed that he had asked someone whether he should take revenge on her. He also called Ms Ke selfish and suggested that he might become a bad person.

Prosecutors argued that these messages showed he was already thinking about harming her before he travelled to London.

CCTV footage played during the trial showed Sandhu wearing a face mask and baseball cap as he entered and later left the building where Ms Ke was staying.

The court heard that he was the only man seen entering and leaving the property alone on the day of the murder.

After Ms Ke was killed, Sandhu did not contact the police or call an ambulance. Instead, he sent a voice message to his sister in India, telling her a story about what had happened.

In the message, Sandhu claimed that a professional criminal had robbed Ms Ke at gunpoint before stabbing her to death.

He also expressed concern that the police might accuse him of being involved in the killing.

Sandhu told his sister that if the police began investigating him, he could face life imprisonment. He then spoke about leaving the area to avoid getting into trouble.

During the trial, Sandhu admitted that the story he told his sister was false.

He claimed he had made it up because he was frightened after seeing blood and wanted to appear brave.

He told the jury that he was simply trying to make himself look courageous by inventing the story.

The court also heard that Sandhu had lied to Ms Ke’s best friend, who was identified only as Cute.

He told her that he could not find Ms Ke at her flat, even though he had already returned to Southampton.

When questioned about why he had lied, Sandhu repeatedly told the jury that he was scared.

He admitted taking Ms Ke’s mobile phones when he left the flat but claimed he had done so because he did not want to get into trouble.

Following the killing, Sandhu made plans to leave the United Kingdom.

Police later arrested him while he was travelling towards Birmingham Airport with a one-way ticket to Mumbai, India.

Video footage showed him waving goodbye to his cousins before getting onto a coach.

When officers arrested him, they discovered that he was carrying several belongings belonging to Ms Ke.

These included her mobile phones, clothes and shoes. Police also recovered a bloodstained jacket matching the one Sandhu had been seen wearing in CCTV footage.

During the investigation, Sandhu gave another explanation for why he had purchased the knives.

He claimed he had bought them for another woman, identified in court only as Bailey, because she was unable to buy them herself.

However, the prosecution rejected this explanation and described it as nonsense.

While giving evidence, Sandhu admitted that he was a habitual liar but continued to deny killing Ms Ke.

He insisted that he was not capable of taking someone’s life and maintained that he had not committed the murder.

Despite his claims, the jury did not believe his account.

After considering the evidence, jurors unanimously found him guilty of murdering Ms Ke and attempting to interfere with the course of justice.

Sandhu appeared calm in court as the verdicts were announced. He was wearing a striped sweatshirt and brown jogging bottoms.

Following his conviction, his lawyer, Tim Forte KC, told the court that preparing a report about Sandhu before sentencing would not provide any useful additional information.

Sandhu, who lived in Southampton, now faces a life sentence for the murder.

The court was due to sentence him on Friday.

The case has revealed how a short relationship ended in tragedy after Ms Ke discovered that Sandhu had been dishonest with her and decided she no longer wanted to continue seeing him.

Prosecutors maintained that Sandhu’s anger over the breakup led him to plan a violent attack, travel to London and kill the woman he had previously been dating.

His attempt to escape the country also became an important part of the evidence presented against him.

Despite repeatedly denying responsibility and offering different explanations for his actions, Sandhu was ultimately convicted of murder and perverting the course of justice.