Chinese national Zhe Wang, 31, a creative writing student at Goldsmiths, University of London, was found dead with two stab wounds to her face at her flat in Manor Park, Lewisham, south east London, on March 20 2024.
Fellow student Joshua Michals, 26, told his trial at the Old Bailey that Ms Wang was “germophobic” and became “stressed”, believing, incorrectly, that she had contracted a sexually transmitted disease (STD) after they had sex.
A jury found Michals guilty of murder on Monday after 16-and-a-half hours of deliberations.
During the trial, prosecutor Henrietta Paget KC said Michals had “flown into a rage” and killed Ms Wang after meeting her at her flat.
They had first met on the Goldsmiths campus and began an on-and-off casual relationship in 2023.
Michals told jurors he had felt “so-so” about pursuing a relationship with Ms Wang because she had a phobia of germs.
After finding a “red dot” on her skin after sex, she demanded he get an STD test, even vowing to find him on campus to “drag” him to see a GP, the court previously heard.
The student said he went to her flat on March 20, 2024, with a charcuterie selection to bring some “normalcy” to the “bizarre situation”.
He claimed that when he arrived at the flat in Lewisham, he found Ms Wang “cold” and monosyllabic, and that she attacked him with a knife as he came out of the bathroom.
A post-mortem examination found Ms Wang died from stab wounds to the head and compression to the neck, the trial heard.
Michals previously told jurors he did not mean to strike Ms Wang with the knife, saying: “I just wanted to get her away from me.”
He also said he pressed his forearm to her neck to try to restrain her and he did not mean to kill her or cause her harm.
Michals called his father after the incident and obtained the details for a solicitor before going to his own flat and calling 999, the trial heard.
He also took Ms Wang’s phone from her kitchen and put it in a bin outside, jurors were previously told.
It was recovered days later at a refuse area in Newham, east London.
Jurors have been told that Michals never had a sexually transmitted disease.
Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Michals studied film-making at university before moving to London to pursue a year-long master’s degree at Goldsmiths.
The London university paid tribute to Zhe Wang following the verdict, deploring the loss of “a remarkable writer” whose work will be published posthumously in an upcoming Goldsmiths anthology.
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.
“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.
“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.”
Michals, of Deals Gateway, south-east London, will be sentenced at a later date.
