A RAPIST has admitted to murdering his wife whose body was found “lying face down on her front” covered with blankets in their attic.
Shane Simmonds, 39, has confessed to killing Tia Simmonds, 32, before bundling her lifeless body in bedding and clothing at their home on Parbury Road, Forest Hill, southeast London, on January 3 this year.
Tia Simmonds was found lying face down in bedding and clothing in her home on Parbury Road, Forest Hill, southeast London[/caption]
Officers found the 32-year-old’s body in the attic[/caption]
The defendant has now admitted to murdering his wife[/caption]
He previously denied murder at the Old Bailey in August this year, appearing over video link from HMP Belmarsh.
The defendant pleaded to manslaughter and claimed diminished responsibility instead.
This plea was not accepted by the prosecutor Deanna Heer KC.
Now, Simmonds has “changed his mind” to avoid going to trial.
Judge Philip Katz KC told a prospective panel of jurors at the Old Bailey yesterday that the killer will be sentenced on October 17, as reported by the BBC.
Simmonds’s barrister, Jonathan Higgs KC, said yesterday: “He has discussed matters with us today and with the approach of the day (of the trial) and through me he invites the court to ask him to be re-arraigned.”
After the guilty plea Mr Higgs said: “It’s a very disturbing case and one that remains in terms of his motivation very largely unexplained.”
The court previously heard how police officers discovered Tia “lying face down on her front” in the attic.
It was also told how a knife had been found in the couple’s en-suite bathroom inside the converted attic.
Simmonds, who has also admitted two charges of rape against a teenage girl, had handed himself into the station after killing his wife.
He was arrested on January 3 this year.
The court heard a knife was found in the couple’s en-suite bathroom[/caption]
Simmonds has admitted to murder at the Old Bailey after he ‘changed his mind’[/caption]
He is due to be sentenced on October 17[/caption]
