A US student accused of fatally stabbing a sexual partner had “split seconds” to defend himself against his angry lover, a court has heard.
Joshua Michals, 26, denies the murder of 31-year-old Zhe Wang, a fellow student at Goldsmiths, University of London.
Ms Wang was found with two stab wounds to her face at her flat in Manor Park, Lewisham, south-east London, after the defendant called 999 in March 2024.
Brian St Louis KC, defending, told jurors at the Old Bailey that Mr Michals acted in self-defence when Ms Wang attacked him with a knife, suffering her injuries in the struggle.
Ms Wang had sent a message to Mr Michals, of Deals Gateway in Deptford, south-east London, the day before her death saying: “I hate you, I hate you, I hate you”, Mr St Louis said.
“She was angry and she was out to deal with the person who was the bane of her life.
“He had split seconds to do whatever he could to make sure that he was not stabbed and that he was not seriously injured.
“During the incident, he kept telling Ms Wang to calm down, to stop… but she did not calm down, and everything he did was acting in self-defence.”
Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Mr Michals previously told the court Ms Wang became “stressed”, believing – incorrectly – she had contracted a sexually transmitted disease after they had sex.
A post-mortem examination revealed Ms Wang, a Chinese national, died from stab wounds to the head and compression to the neck, the trial heard.
Mr 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 insisted he did not mean to kill her or cause her harm.
The trial heard Mr Michals called his father and obtained the details for a solicitor before arriving at his flat and phoning an ambulance.
He also took Ms Wang’s phone from her kitchen and put it in a bin outside, jurors were told.
It was recovered days later at a refuse area in Newham, east London.
