Film Student Denies Murder After Fatal Flat Altercation
An American film student studying in London called his father and a solicitor before dialling 999 after allegedly stabbing his partner to death, the Old Bailey has heard. Joshua Michals, 26, is standing trial for the murder of 31-year-old Zhe Wang, a fellow creative writing student at Goldsmiths, University of London.
The court was told that emergency services were called to Ms Wang's flat in Manor Park, Lewisham, on 20 March 2024, where she was found with two stab wounds to her face. Michals, however, has pleaded not guilty to murder, claiming he acted in self-defence.
Defendant's Account of the Incident
Giving evidence, Michals stated that the argument began after Ms Wang incorrectly believed she had contracted a sexually transmitted disease from him. He told jurors, ‘I had to restrain her, I put out my forearm to restrain her and, before I knew it, she’d stopped breathing.’
Prosecutor Henrietta Paget KC contested this, alleging that Michals had ‘flown into a rage’ and killed her. Michals replied, ‘I was never angry at any point in the incident.’ He insisted he did not mean to kill her.
A post-mortem examination presented to the court revealed that Ms Wang, who was from China, died from stab wounds to the head and compression to the neck.
Actions After the Attack
The sequence of events following the incident has come under scrutiny. Jurors heard that Michals called his father in the United States and obtained details for a solicitor before finally calling an ambulance.
Further complicating his account, the court was told that Michals took Ms Wang's phone from her kitchen and disposed of it in a bin outside. He admitted to throwing the phone away but claimed he did not remember taking it. Cell-site data indicated the phone remained near the flat until the next morning, and it was recovered days later from a refuse area in Newham after a recycling plant worker found it.
In his initial 999 call, which was paraphrased by the prosecutor, Michals reportedly told the operator, ‘I don’t think so,’ when asked if the patient was breathing. He directed emergency services to Ms Wang's address but gave his own address in Deptford for the police, stating, ‘if you want to send the police over to me.’ During a subsequent call with a paramedic, he said, ‘I don’t know how any of this works, it’s f****** too much.’
When arrested, Michals told officers, ‘It’s not what it seems.’ He later explained to the court that he had been advised to give a 'no comment' interview by his legal counsel.
Background of the Accused and the Victim
Born and raised in Chicago, Joshua Michals came to London to pursue a master’s degree in filmmaking at Goldsmiths. The court heard he is the younger of two siblings, with a father who is a vice president of sales and a mother who is a graphic designer.
He met Zhe Wang, a creative writing student, on campus when he went to enrol. Several statements from his fellow students were read in court, which said they were not aware he was dating anyone. One friend described him as ‘super personable, very outgoing and talkative.’
Photographs shown to the jury depicted the tragic scene, with Ms Wang's body on the floor near a bed, surrounded by blood. The trial continues.
