In a gripping courtroom revelation, an American student recounted how he ended up fatally stabbing his girlfriend in her bedroom, asserting that he was acting in self-defense during her attack.
The tragic incident involved Zhe Wang, a 31-year-old from China, who was discovered lifeless in her bedroom, surrounded by blood, after authorities forced their way into the scene on March 20 of the previous year.
Her boyfriend, 26-year-old Joshua Michals, had dialed emergency services to report a ‘knife incident’ at her residence in Manor Park, Hither Green, London.
Michals cooperated with law enforcement, insisting that the situation was ‘not what it seems.’ The couple’s relationship had been relatively new, spanning just a few months.
Ms. Wang was enrolled in a Master’s program in Creative Writing and Education at Goldsmiths, University of London, aspiring to pursue a teaching career.
Appearing at the Old Bailey, Michals, who has denied the murder charge, was dressed in a light blue jumper paired with a white shirt and blue trousers as he took the stand.
He said he started studying a masters in filmmaking at Goldsmiths in September 2023.
Michals accepts Ms Wang died from the injuries he inflicted and told jurors: ‘I was trying to keep her away from me. She continued to attack me; I was trying to keep her away.’
Joshua Michals, 26, gave evidence at the Old Bailey (pictured) in London
He said he did not intend to kill her or cause her any harm, and said the knife came from her kitchen.
Asked what he thought would have happened if he had not tried to keep her away, he said he thought she would have killed him.
Michals said he was born and raised in Chicago, pointing out that both his parents were in the public gallery.
He said he studied filmmaking and TV at a university in Chicago before freelancing as a camera man.
He said his father is a Vice President of Sales at a company and his mother is a graphic designer.
Michals has no previous convictions and had never been arrested before Ms Wang’s death. He said he had never had any mental health issues.
Michals said he met Ms Wang when they were both collecting their student ID cards and they exchanged numbers.
He said he did not know any of Ms Wang’s friends. ‘She was really private when it came to personal matters,’ he said.
He said he thought it was strange she wanted to keep their relationship private.
On his decision to study in London, the aspiring film maker told jurors: ‘It seemed like an exciting opportunity to study abroad to pursue a masters. It seemed like the right thing to do.
‘Me and my mum were looking at things in the London area and we ended up with Goldsmiths.’
Michals said he met creative writing student Ms Wang he went to Goldsmiths to enrol and pick up his student identification, and they got on ‘really well’ and exchanged numbers.
They began to exchange text messages and went on to ‘hang out’ nine or 10 times in the months before her death, the court heard.
Michals said that they did not introduce each other to any of their friends because Ms Wang wanted to keep the relationship between them.
He told jurors: ‘She was quite private and I respected that.’
Ms Wang appeared to be looking for a life partner with a ‘spiritual resonance’, but Michals told jurors that he had wanted to keep it casual.
When they met in October and November 2023, they engaged in ‘kissing and cuddling’, he said.
Ms Wang asked to see test results confirming he did not have a sexually transmitted disease before taking things further, jurors heard.
When Ms Wang visited him at his flat, she insisted on cleaning his couch before she would sit on it, the court was told.
Michals said: ‘She sprayed the couch, the bathroom, started wiping down the surfaces, the counter tops, bathroom, sink, anything she thought she might touch.’
He thought it was ‘a little bizarre’ but he did not want to make a ‘big thing of it’, he said.
Michals said he was feeling ‘so-so’ about pursing the relationship, telling jurors: ‘We got along really well, the conversation was really fun.
‘The germophobia was a bit much at times. I didn’t quite understand it. It was just bizarre.’
He said that her cleaning seemed ‘excessive’ and the phobia appeared to get ‘much worse’.
After meeting on November 4, 2023, they did not see each other again until February 23, 2024 when they first had sex.
Michals told jurors that he had been focused on his film making course and spending time with his classmates.
On December 16, 2023, he had gone to a Christmas party and ended up going back to his flat with a friend on his course and having ‘casual’ sex.
When he returned to America at the end of autumn term, he did not consider he was in a relationship with Ms Wang, even though she continued to text him.
Summarising messages leading up to their first sexual liaison in February, Judge Richard Marks KC said: ‘She has, to say the least, been very disgruntled by the fact you have not seen each other for three months.
‘You have effectively sidelined her for three months, she has now initiated the idea you should have sex, and you are happy to go along with it.’
Michals agreed. He went on to describe how he had gone to her flat, carried out various ‘steps’ she had stipulated before finding her wearing just lingerie in her bedroom.
He told jurors that he used a condom but it came off and so he suggested that she take the morning after pill and visited her on March 3 with a pregnancy test ‘just to make sure’.
Michals described Ms Wang as a ‘very sweet, warm, bubbly’ person.
It came as a surprise when he found out during the legal process that someone else had said they were in a relationship with her too, he said.
‘I didn’t think it was real at first. I thought it was someone else’s legal papers. I just didn’t think that was something she would do.’
The defendant told jurors Ms Wang was against having children, saying: ‘I thought most people had a positive outlook about having kids. I don’t think I had heard anybody say they hate babies prior to her.’
The court heard that Michals had never been in trouble with police before, and had never contracted a sexually transmitted disease or suffered from any mental health issues in his life.
Michals, of Deals Gateway, Deptford, denies murder.
The trial continues.
