A man who murdered a woman after she ended their relationship, before attempting to flee the country, has been jailed.

Deepak Sandhu, 24, was prosecuted by the Homicide Unit for the Crown Prosecution Service, London.

Following a trial, Sandhu, of Southampton, was found guilty of murdering Xiaoqing Ke, 39, at a bedsit on Old Brompton Road, Earl's Court, on 9 December last year. He was also convicted of perverting the course of justice.
Today, he was sentenced today to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 28 years. 

Shikha Varma, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Xiaoqing Ke saw through Deepak Sandhu's many lies and, when she rejected him and ended their relationship, he reacted by taking her life in a calculated and brutal attack.

"The CPS remains committed to ensuring perpetrators like Sandhu, who commit such horrific violence against women and girls, are robustly prosecuted and face the full force of the law.

"Despite his repeated denials and efforts to evade justice, prosecutors were able to unravel his lies and present extensive evidence to the court of his anger towards Ms Ke and his presence at the scene, and the jury found him guilty of murder.

"Our thoughts remain with Ms Ke's family and friends at this incredibly difficult time. We hope his conviction and sentence bring them some measure of justice."

Building the case

To secure a guilty verdict, prosecutors carefully reviewed and pieced together the evidence which included witness accounts, forensic evidence, phone data, and CCTV, to build a strong case.   

The court heard that Sandhu had had a short relationship with Ms Ke, during which he fabricated an elaborate identity of himself, claiming he was a model and actor. After the victim discovered that Sandhu had been lying and had stolen money from her, she ended the relationship in August 2025.

In the weeks that followed, digital evidence showed that Sandhu had repeatedly tried to contact Ms Ke and told one of her colleagues he would ‘take revenge’ and that he would ‘become evil’.

Sandhu eventually persuaded Ms Ke to meet by promising to repay her money and claiming he could assist with her citizenship applications.

The next day, on 9 December 2025, Sandhu travelled by coach from Southampton to London armed with a knife he had bought days prior.

CCTV showed Sandhu walking to Ms Ke’s, while recorded video doorbell footage captured her letting him into the property. He left around 90 minutes later. No one else was seen entering or leaving before police discovered her body the following day.

Soon after Sandhu left the property, he contacted his sister in India claiming that he had witnessed the victim being murdered by another man. He returned to Southampton and, in an attempt to avoid detection and flee the country, booked a one-way flight from Birmingham to Mumbai and changed the SIM card in his phone.

Sandhu was arrested by police travelling on a coach from Southampton to Birmingham Airport on 12 December.