'Fantasist' who murdered woman at Airbnb to exact 'brutal and fatal revenge' is jailed

A "fantasist" who murdered a woman at an Airbnb to exact "brutal and fatal revenge" after she rejected him has been jailed for at least 28 years.

University dropout Deepak Sandhu, 24, killed Xiaoqing Ke, 39, in Earl's Court in west London after buying knives in Asda, the Old Bailey was told.

The victim was found face down on the bedroom floor of her Airbnb bedsit in Old Brompton Road on 10 December last year after suffering catastrophic injuries, including a fatal deep stab wound to the neck.

Prosecutor Caroline Carberry KC said the failed AI student, who claimed to be a model and actor, was a "fantasist" who had made false claims about his status and stole £500 from Ms Ke.

The Indian national, whose student visa had been revoked, denied being responsible for the killing, claiming Ms Ke was alive when he left her flat.

But a jury found him guilty of murder and perverting the course of justice by attempting to flee the country after deliberating for two hours.

On Friday, Judge Philip Katz KC jailed Sandhu for life with a minimum term of 28 years.

Judge Katz said Ms Ke, single mother-of-two, had been kind and thoughtful towards Sandhu.

"The jury must have been stunned by the torrent of lies you told Ms Ke and everyone else," said Judge Katz. "They were often manipulative, controlling and cruel."

He added: "I'm sure you came to think that if you could not have Ms Ke, then nobody else would.

"You took your revenge in a carefully planned and premeditated way."

The two had met and engaged in a secret relationship using a translation app.

Ms Ke, a Mandarin speaker, was working at a brothel in Southampton and Punjabi speaker Sandhu was a customer when they met, the court heard.

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They remained in contact after she moved to London until Ms Ke discovered he had stolen £500 from her and spun a web of lies.

Ms Carberry said Sandhu told many "white lies" including that he lived with his sister, and fabricated that he had been on a trip to the US for an audition and to his graduation ceremony.

In reality he had been removed from the course for poor attendance.

After Ms Ke called him out as a "liar" and demanded he pay her back, Sandhu told her former brothel boss that she "will regret what she has done".

He "pestered" Ms Ke for another chance and promised to return the £500, and set off armed with a knife.

'Unbearable heartache'

In a victim impact statement, Ms Ke's sister said: "This tragedy has had a devastating impact on our entire family.

"When we think that my sister was finally approaching a time when her hardships might ease, only for her life to end in such a way. We are filled with a profound sense of injustice, regret and unbearable heartache.

"The only wish our entire family has is that the person responsible receives the punishment they deserve under the law."

Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Jolley, who led the investigation, said: "Xiaoqing's family have been through an unimaginably painful time, and our thoughts remain with them."

He added: "Xiaoqing should never have had to endure what happened to her, either in the months before her death or in the final moments of her life."

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