An American man has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 16 years after being convicted of murdering his intermittently involved girlfriend in her residence in southeast London.

Joshua Michals, 26, fatally stabbed 31-year-old Zhe Wang, a fellow student at Goldsmiths University, in her Manor Park flat during March 2024.

Wang, a creative writing student, sustained two stab wounds to her face, and a post-mortem examination indicated that she had also been strangled.

During his trial at the Old Bailey, Michals claimed he acted in self-defense during a dispute related to a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

Convicted of murder in December, Michals received his sentencing at the same court on Friday.

Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Michals previously studied film before relocating to London to undertake a master’s program at Goldsmiths.

Prosecutor Henrietta Paget KC stated during the trial that Michals “exploded in anger” and took Wang’s life after arriving at her residence.

The pair had initially connected on the Goldsmiths campus and entered into an on-and-off casual relationship in 2023.

Michals expressed to the jury that his feelings about continuing a relationship with Wang were mixed, largely due to her germaphobia.

After noticing a “red spot” on her skin following their intimate encounter, she insisted he undergo an STI test, as revealed in court.

Jurors heard that Michals, residing at Deals Gateway in southeast London, had never been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection.

On March 20, 2024, he explained, he brought a selection of charcuterie to Wang’s flat in an attempt to restore some “normalcy” to a “strange situation.”

He asserted that upon arriving at her Lewisham flat, Wang attacked him with a knife.

Brian St Louis KC, speaking on Michals’ behalf, conveyed that he “deeply regrets” the incident involving Wang.

Judge Richard Marks KC remarked that this expression of remorse came very late, noting it was not demonstrated during the trial.

Michals previously told the jury he had no intention of harming Wang with the knife, asserting, “I merely wanted to push her away.”

He claimed he used his forearm to restrain her neck, insisting that he did not aim to kill or injure her.

However, Judge Marks expressed, “It is clear you became enraged by the situation. In a fit of anger, you completely lost control over your emotions and reasoning.”

The judge concluded that Michals administered two grave wounds to Wang’s face using one of her kitchen knives, with the second wound showcasing “extreme force.”

“The excessive bleeding did not bring you back to your senses… you used substantial force with your forearm to throttle her,” he stated.

Following the incident, Michals contacted his father for legal assistance before returning to his own flat and dialing 999.

A victim impact statement from Wang’s cousin, Xiao Li Wang, was presented to the court by the prosecution, detailing the difficulty of articulating “the sorrow and grief of losing a loved one.”

Participating in the court proceedings via video link from China, she shared that Wang’s family initially suspected a scam when they received the news of her passing.

“Nobody wanted to accept what we were told; it felt like a scene from a film,” Wang’s cousin recounted.

She continued, “Zhe was incredibly optimistic, diligent, and passionate about life, yet something so cruel befell her.”

Judge Marks noted that the evidence depicted Wang as “a remarkably gifted writer, a gentle and kind individual, private and sensitive, and seemingly emotionally fragile.”