Deepak Sandhu, a 24-year-old Indian national, has been sentenced to life imprisonment in the United Kingdom for murdering a woman at her London home after she confronted him over £500 he had stolen from her and ended their relationship. Sandhu was ordered to serve a minimum of 28 years for killing 39-year-old Xiaoqing Ke in what prosecutors described as a calculated act of revenge. He was also convicted of attempting to pervert the course of justice for trying to flee the country after the killing, Sky News reported on Friday.
Sandhu was sentenced at the Old Bailey a day after a jury found him guilty of murder. Ke was discovered dead on the bedroom floor of her bedsit on Old Brompton Road in Earl’s Court, west London, on December 10, 2025. She had suffered multiple injuries, including a fatal stab wound to the neck.
The court heard that Sandhu and Ke met in Southampton in early 2025 and developed a relationship while communicating through a translation application. Ke, who was from China, later moved to London, but the two remained in contact. The relationship deteriorated after Ke discovered that Sandhu had taken £500 from her handbag. Prosecutor Caroline Carberry KC told the court that Sandhu had repeatedly misled Ke about his personal life, education and employment. He had portrayed himself as a model and actor, claimed to have travelled to the United States for an audition and said he would attend a graduation ceremony at Southampton Solent University. In reality, he had been removed from his course due to poor attendance, the prosecution said.
After Ke challenged his claims and demanded her money back, Sandhu sent angry messages and told her former employer that she would “regret what she has done”. He also asked an associate on WhatsApp whether he should take revenge on her, according to evidence presented in court.
On December 9, 2025, Sandhu travelled from Southampton to London with a knife after arranging to meet Ke. Doorbell camera footage showed him arriving at her accommodation wearing a baseball cap and covering his face. He left around 90 minutes later, the court heard.
Following the killing, Sandhu contacted his sister in India and booked a flight from Birmingham to Mumbai. Police arrested him on December 12 while he was travelling by coach towards Birmingham Airport. Investigators found evidence linking him to the crime, including messages and blood traces at the scene, according to the Metropolitan Police.
During the trial, Sandhu denied murdering Ke, claiming she was alive when he left the property and that he had not witnessed the killing. He admitted stealing her money and lying about his background but disputed the prosecution’s account of events. The jury rejected his defence and convicted him after deliberating for around two hours.
Sentencing, Judge Philip Katz KC said Ke had treated Sandhu with kindness, but he had repaid her by stealing from her and killing her in a “brutal and callous way”. The judge criticised the stream of lies Sandhu had told, describing them as manipulative, controlling and cruel, and said he had taken revenge in a carefully planned and premeditated manner.
Ke’s sister described the murder’s impact on the family in a victim impact statement, expressing profound grief and a sense of injustice over the loss. Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Jolley, who led the investigation, told Sky News that Sandhu had become fixated on Ke and sent her controlling and abusive messages before murdering her. The Metropolitan Police said tackling violence against women and girls remained a priority.
Original Source: https://www.firstpost.com/world/indian-origin-man-jailed-for-life-for-murdering-woman-at-london-airbnb-over-500-dispute-14053464.html
Category: India
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Publish Date: 2026-10-17 00:24:00
