Man jailed for life after stabbing his wife to death and hiding her body in a Lewisham attic

A man has been sentenced to life in prison after admitting stabbing his wife and leaving the body in his attic.

Shane Simmonds, 39, walked into a police station in Lewisham, south London, in the early hours of January 3 and told officers he had killed his wife in their home.

Officers went to the property on Parbury Road and found the body of 32-year-old Tia Simmonds covered in clothing in the converted attic.

The kitchen knife with which she was stabbed was found in her bedroom.

A special post-mortem confirmed Ms Simmonds had died from stab wounds.

On Monday Simmonds pleaded guilty to murdering her on the first day of his trial at the Old Bailey.

His lawyer Jonathan Higgs KC said: “It is a very disturbing case whose motive remains largely unknown.”

Simmonds had previously admitted manslaughter due to diminished responsibility, which was not accepted by the prosecution.

He had also admitted two counts of rape relating to another woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons.

On Thursday he was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 32 years by Old Bailey judge Philip Katz KC for murder.

He was sentenced to 12 years in prison for each rape charge to run concurrently with the life sentence.

Detective Superintendent Matt Webb of Scotland Yard said: “This was a callous and brutal murder which was clearly premeditated based on Simmonds’ actions.

“He drugged his wife before attacking her with a knife; there was no way for them to defend themselves.

“He then left the house and was seen purchasing cleaning products and replacement bed linen to conceal his crime.

“The overwhelming evidence against him and his own confession in January left Simmonds no choice but to plead guilty.

“He faces a lengthy prison sentence, but the impact of his actions that day will last a lifetime for Tia’s family and friends.”

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