Story perspectives

UK Jury Convicts Deepak Sandhu of Xiaoqing Ke Murder

By Drooid · Oct 16, 2026, 4:18 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

A UK jury convicted Indian national Deepak Sandhu of murder and perverting the course of justice.
Sandhu killed 39-year-old Chinese national Xiaoqing Ke in an Airbnb flat on Old Brompton Road, Earl’s Court.
Prosecutors said he murdered Ke after she demanded repayment of £500 he had stolen.
He tried to flee to Mumbai but was arrested on a National Express coach to Birmingham airport.

History

Historical Context

The Housing and Planning Act 2016 broadened landlord duties, creating a rogue-landlord database and extending health-and-safety rules for rental properties. After the Department for Communities flagged illegal Airbnb listings in London, the 2024 murder of Xiaoqing Ke by Deepak Sandhu in an Airbnb flat revived calls for tighter host verification, echoing the Act’s push for stricter oversight.

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Story summary

A UK jury convicted Indian national Deepak Sandhu of murder and perverting the course of justice.
Sandhu killed 39-year-old Chinese national Xiaoqing Ke in an Airbnb flat on Old Brompton Road, Earl’s Court.
Prosecutors said he murdered Ke after she demanded repayment of £500 he had stolen.
He tried to flee to Mumbai but was arrested on a National Express coach to Birmingham airport.

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