A film student has been found guilty of stabbing his girlfriend after he tried to accuse her of coming after him with a knife.
Chinese student Zhe Wang, 31, had a promising writer’s career ahead of her before being stabbed to death by an on-and-off partner, Joshua Michals, 26.
Ms Wang, a creative writing student at Goldsmiths, University of London, was found dead with two stab wounds to her face inside her flat in Manor Park, Lewisham, on March 20 last year.
Michals, a fellow student from Chicago, US, tried to shift the blame for the incident to Ms Wang during a trial at the Old Bailey, accusing her of first attacking him with a knife.
But prosecutors said the man had ‘flown into a rage’ and killed her inside her home.
He accused Ms Wang of being ‘germaphobic,’ and that she had become ‘stressed’ when she thought incorrectly that she had contracted a sexually transmitted disease (STD) from him after they had sex.
Jurors in the case were told that Michals never had a sexually transmitted disease. Ms Wang had found a red dot on her skin after the couple had sex and had asked him to get an STD test.
Michals claimed Ms Wang was ‘cold’ and curt when he went to visit him with a charcuterie board to try to resolve the ‘bizarre situation’ between the couple, who had been in a casual relationship for around a year.
Shortly after arriving at her flat, Ms Wang allegedly attacked him with a knife as he came out of the bathroom, the jury was told.
The Chinese student suffered stab wounds to the head and compression to the neck, a post-mortem later revealed. Michals said previously he pressed his forearm on her neck to try to restrain her and that he did not intend to kill her.
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But he was later found to have called his dad before alerting the emergency services and calling 999 to the flat.
He also took Ms Wang’s phone and put it in a bin. It was discovered days later at a refuse site in Newham, east London.
After deliberating for 16 and a half hours, the jury found Michals guilty of murder.
Dr Francis Gilbert, senior lecturer in the School of Mind, Body and Society at Goldsmiths, said: ‘We are devasted by the loss of Zhe Wang, who was a wonderful student, a remarkable writer and a thinker who combined deep intellectual curiosity with creative courage and approached writing as a mindful practice.
Zhe Wang’s poem
Ode To A Foolish Bee by Zhe Wang
The exit beckons just above the pane, yet she flits in vain, causing a strain.
A towel in my hand, the gentle guide, trying not to harm, by her side.
In her escape, she set herself free.
‘Her work blended Buddhist thought, imaginative storytelling and reflective clarity in a way that marked her out as a unique and singular voice.
‘She was preparing to publish her work, and we will honour her intentions by including her writing in a forthcoming Goldsmiths anthology.
‘Zhe was joyful, mindful and generous. She was deeply loved by her peers, who continue to speak of her gentleness, her humour and her thoughtful presence. She made our community kinder and more attentive.
‘Her classmates continue to mourn her loss and remember her with profound love, recalling the warmth of her presence and the inspiration she offered so generously to others.
‘We will miss Zhe always.
‘Her writing continues to illuminate our community, and her memory remains a source of tenderness, inspiration and care at Goldsmiths.
‘We send again our profound condolences to Zhe’s family who grieved with an intensity that expressed the depth of their love for her.
‘Her poem Ode To A Foolish Bee captures so much of what made Zhe’s writing distinctive: compassion, humour, gentle insight and a desire to guide others without causing harm.’
Michals will be sentenced at a later date.
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