A University of London student has been found guilty of murdering his girlfriend in a violent attack last year in south-east London. Joshua Michals, 26, stabbed Zhe Wang, 31, twice in the face at her flat in Lewisham in March 2023. Following the attack, Michals called his father, a senior US executive, seeking legal advice before alerting authorities.

The couple, both students at Goldsmiths, University of London, had been involved in a brief relationship marked by tension. Prosecutors told the court that Ms. Wang, who was pursuing a master's degree in creative writing and education, confronted Michals after discovering a red spot on her skin, suspecting he had transmitted a sexually transmitted infection to her. Michals, a filmmaking student from Chicago, denied the accusation.

Michals visited Ms. Wang’s flat the day after their disagreement, bringing food in an attempt to ease the situation. He testified that after going to the bathroom, he encountered Ms. Wang holding a knife and described her as appearing “demented” and “possessed.” He claimed to have acted in self-defense, stabbing her during a struggle and restraining her by leaning on her neck until she stopped moving.

However, after delivering a detailed account of the incident, Michals did not immediately call emergency services. Instead, he contacted his father for legal counsel and subsequently discarded the knife, Ms. Wang’s phone, and the food he had brought in the building’s communal bins. He only called for an ambulance approximately three hours later, telling police: “It’s not what it seems” and stating he “did not see the rush” to seek medical help.

The jury at the Old Bailey deliberated for more than 16 hours before rejecting Michals’ self-defense claim. They found him guilty of the “brutal and savage” killing. Detective Inspector Claire Guiver described Michals as a “dangerous, violent individual” and praised the jury for seeing through his version of events.

During the trial, evidence emerged that the pair had a sporadic relationship and that Michals had begun seeing another woman. Ms. Wang’s academic supervisors and peers remembered her as a gifted writer and thinker whose work reflected a unique blend of Buddhist philosophy and creative storytelling. Goldsmiths lecturer Dr. Francis Gilbert praised her “deep intellectual curiosity,” describing her as “joyful, mindful and generous.”

Judge Richard Marks indicated that sentencing will be scheduled to accommodate the families of both Ms. Wang and Michals, who attended the verdict reading. He also commended the jury system, noting its resilience amid current debates on judicial reforms.

Michals faces a potential life sentence as legal proceedings continue.