He Promised to Repay Her. Now He Is Jailed for Her Murder.

A Promise to Return Money Preceded the Fatal Visit

Xiaoqing Ke agreed to meet her former partner after he promised to return money he had taken from her. Deepak Sandhu has now been sentenced to life in prison for murdering her during that visit and then attempting to leave Britain.

Sandhu, 24, was sentenced at London’s Central Criminal Court on October 16. The court imposed a minimum term of 28 years after a jury found him guilty of murder and perverting the course of justice the previous day.

Ke was 39 and had ended their brief relationship after discovering his dishonesty, according to the Crown Prosecution Service. Her sister told the court the loss had affected the whole family at a point when they had hoped Ke’s difficulties might begin to ease.

The prosecution described a series of false claims Sandhu made about his life. He presented himself as a model and actor, claimed to have traveled to the United States for an audition, and described a graduation ceremony that had not occurred.

She Ended the Relationship After Discovering Missing Money

The pair met in Southampton before Ke moved to London. Sky News reported that they communicated through a translation app, with Ke speaking Mandarin and Sandhu speaking Punjabi.

They remained in contact after her move. When Ke discovered that money had been taken from her handbag and that Sandhu had lied to her, she challenged him and ended the relationship in August 2025, prosecutors said.

Digital evidence showed he continued trying to contact her in the weeks afterward. The prosecution said he also sent messages to another person expressing an intention to retaliate against her.

Sandhu eventually persuaded Ke to meet by offering to repay the money and claiming he could help with citizenship applications. The CPS identified those assurances as the explanation for the meeting that brought him back to her rented accommodation.

Doorbell Video Recorded the Visit

On December 9, 2025, Sandhu traveled by coach from Southampton to London. Prosecutors said he had prepared for the attack before making the journey.

Video from a doorbell camera showed Ke admitting him to the property on Old Brompton Road in Earl’s Court. He left about 90 minutes later, according to the CPS account of the evidence.

Police were called to check on Ke the following day and found her dead inside. Prosecutors said the recorded footage showed no other visitor entering or leaving between Sandhu’s departure and the discovery.

After leaving, Sandhu contacted his sister in India and claimed he had witnessed another man kill Ke. He returned to Southampton, changed the SIM card in his phone and booked a one-way flight from Birmingham to Mumbai, prosecutors said.

Officers located him on December 12 while he was traveling by coach toward Birmingham Airport. He was arrested before taking the flight.

The Jury Rejected His Account

Sandhu denied responsibility during the trial and maintained that Ke had been alive when he left. The defense account was put before the jury, alongside the prosecution’s evidence from witnesses, phones and recorded images.

The jury convicted him of both murder and the separate offense concerning interference with justice. Sky News reported that jurors deliberated for about two hours before delivering the guilty verdicts.

At sentencing, Judge Philip Katz discussed the dishonesty that had accompanied the relationship. He described Sandhu’s claims to Ke and others as manipulative and controlling, according to Sky’s courtroom report.

Ke’s sister submitted a victim-impact statement describing the family’s grief and its request for legal accountability. Police also acknowledged the family’s loss when announcing the sentence and the conclusion of their investigation.

The sentence is life imprisonment with a 28-year minimum, not a fixed term promising release after 28 years. Sandhu must first serve that minimum before he can be considered for release under the life-sentence process.

References: Man who murdered woman and attempted to flee the country jailed | Man sentenced for Earls Court murder | Fantasist guilty of Airbnb murder to exact brutal and fatal revenge after rejection | Fantasist who murdered woman at Airbnb to exact brutal and fatal revenge is jailed

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