An American student studying in the United Kingdom was found guilty of murdering his girlfriend following a dispute over a suspected sexually transmitted infection. Joshua Michals, 26, was convicted at the Old Bailey in London after a jury deliberated for more than 16 hours. The verdict followed the fatal stabbing of Zhe Wang, 31, a fellow student at Goldsmiths, University of London, in March last year.

According to court evidence, Michals and Wang, both graduate students, had been in a brief relationship lasting several months and had been intimate on one occasion. The day before the killing, tension arose between the pair after Wang, described in court as a “quiet and gentle” individual and an MA student in creative writing and education, believed Michals had infected her with a sexually transmitted disease. After noticing a red mark on her skin, she confronted him and demanded he undergo testing.

On the day of the incident, Michals visited Wang’s flat in Lewisham, southeast London, bringing food in an apparent attempt to defuse the situation. He told the court that after using the bathroom, he found Wang holding a knife and claimed he stabbed her twice in the face during a struggle, asserting that he acted in self-defense. However, the prosecution described the attack as “brutal and savage,” with Michals strangling Wang until she died.

Following the assault, Michals did not immediately seek medical help. Instead, he contacted his father, a high-ranking executive based in the United States, to obtain a lawyer’s details. He then discarded the knife, Wang’s phone, and the food he had brought in communal bins outside the flat before taking an Uber to his own residence in nearby Greenwich. Michals called emergency services approximately three hours after the attack, telling police he “did not see the rush” to seek medical aid and maintained that “it’s not what it seems.” He also attempted to delete WhatsApp messages exchanged with Wang, although investigators recovered the deleted content.

Detective Inspector Claire Guiver, involved in the investigation, stated that Michals had carried out a violent and deliberate assault, rejecting his claim of accidental killing during self-defense. “It is clear that Michals is a dangerous, violent individual and he will now have to live with the consequences of his actions,” she said.

Michals’ parents traveled from the United States to attend the trial and privately funded his legal defense. At the conclusion of the proceedings, the jury delivered the guilty verdict in their presence.

Wang, who had aspired to become a teacher, was remembered by academic staff at Goldsmiths as a talented and thoughtful student. Dr. Francis Gilbert, a senior lecturer, described her as “a remarkable writer and thinker” whose work uniquely blended Buddhist philosophy with creative storytelling. He emphasized her positive impact on the university community, citing her “joyful, mindful and generous” nature.

Sentencing has not yet been scheduled, with Judge Richard Marks indicating he would announce a date accommodating both Wang’s family and Michals’ parents. He also paid tribute to the jury system, expressing pride in its continuing role in the British legal process.