'Fantasist' guilty of Airbnb murder to exact 'brutal and fatal revenge' after rejection

An "fantasist" has been found guilty of murdering a woman who rejected him at an Airbnb to exact “brutal and fatal revenge".

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 the 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 had claimed to be a model and actor, was a "fantasist" who had made false claims about his status and stolen £500 from Ms Ke.

Ms Carberry told jurors: "Xiaoqing Ke was murdered that evening by Deepak Sandhu, who had become an obsessed, manipulative young man who could not accept her rejection of him and carried out a brutal and fatal revenge attack on her before attempting to leave the country."

The Indian national, whose student visa had been revoked, had denied being responsible for the killing, claiming she was alive when he left her flat.

But on Thursday a jury found him guilty of murder and perverting the course of justice by attempting to flee the country.

The court previously heard he had entered the UK in September 2024 on a student visa which was revoked six months later when he dropped out of university in Southampton.

Around this time, Chinese national Ms Ke arrived in the UK on a standard visitor's visa. The two met, and had a secret relationship by communicating via a translation app.

The court heard that Mandarin speaker Ms Ke was working at a brothel in Southampton, and Punjabi speaker Sandhu was a customer.

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

Outlining his "white lies", Ms Carberry said: "He claimed to be living with his sister in Southampton, even though she was in India.

"He portrayed himself to her as a model and actor, and he fabricated a trip to the United States for an audition.

"He told Ms Ke that he would be attending his graduation ceremony in Southampton Solent University. There was no such ceremony.

"In reality, he had been removed from his course months earlier because of poor attendance."

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After pleading with her to give him another chance, he claimed he had the money he had stolen from her.

Having "pestered" Ms Ke, and promised to return her money, the defendant set off from Southampton armed with a knife.

Doorbell camera footage from Ms Ke's Airbnb bedsit captured him arriving with his face covered and wearing a baseball cap, and leaving after about 90 minutes.

After the killing, Sandhu phoned his sister in India, and booked a flight from Birmingham to Mumbai.

He was arrested on 12 December as he travelled on a National Express coach from Southampton to Birmingham Airport.

Following the unanimous guilty verdict, Sandhu was remanded into custody to be sentenced by Judge Philip Katz KC on Friday.

(c) Sky News 2026: 'Fantasist' guilty of Airbnb murder to exact 'brutal and fatal revenge' after rejection