A “fantasist” has murdered a woman in a “brutal” attack after buying knives in Asda.
Deepak Sandhu, 24, stabbed Xiaoqing Ke, 39, to death after she tried to end their relationship.
The former university student had bought knives from the supermarket chain before travelling from Southampton to Earls Court in London to meet Ke.
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On Thursday (15 Oct), Sandhu was found guilty of murder by a jury that deliberated for just two hours, as reported by Need To Know.
The court heard that he had become an “obsessed, manipulative young man who could not accept her rejection of him”, as reported by the BBC.
He was also found guilty of perverting the course of justice after attempting to flee the country following the killing.
Sandhu, an Indian national whose student visa had been revoked, denied responsibility for the murder, claiming Ke was still alive when he left the flat.
Prosecutor Caroline Carberry KC described the 24-year-old as a “fantasist” who had become obsessed with Ke.
The Old Bailey heard the pair had been in a brief relationship and remained in contact after Ke moved from Southampton to London.
However, their relationship broke down after Ke discovered Sandhu had stolen £500 from her handbag and lied to her.
He admitted taking the money and made increasingly desperate attempts to repair the damage his dishonesty had caused, the court heard.
Sandhu repeatedly contacted Ke by phone and text before arranging to meet her on 10 December 2025.
In the days before the attack, he discussed taking revenge in messages to a friend and sent a text predicting he would “become evil”, police said.
On Tuesday, 9 December, Sandhu travelled from Southampton to London with a knife after arranging to meet Ke.
He attempted to conceal his identity before being let inside her address on Old Brompton Road, where he stabbed her, according to the Metropolitan Police.
Around 90 minutes later, he left the property.
Police were called to the address on Wednesday, 10 December, and discovered Ke’s body inside the property with multiple stab wounds.
Blood recovered from the scene matched Sandhu, identifying him as a main suspect.
Following the killing, Sandhu allegedly attempted to flee the country to avoid detection, booking a one-way flight to Mumbai and falsely told a family member that another man had killed Ke while he was at the property, police said.
However, officers tracked him down and arrested him on Friday, 12 December, after stopping him on a coach heading towards the airport.
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.
“Our team uncovered vital evidence which showed Sandhu had become fixated on Xiaoqing and had subjected her to a tirade of controlling and abusive messages before ultimately deciding to end her life.
“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.
“Tackling violence against women and girls remains one of our key priorities, and we will do everything to identify those who carry out these offences and bring them to justice.”
Sandhu, of Newlands Avenue, Southampton, is due to be sentenced at the Old Bailey today (16 Oct).
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