A man from London has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 32 years after he admitted stabbing his wife to death and leaving the body in his attic. Shane Simmonds, 39, had walked into a police station in Lewisham in the early hours of 3 January and told officers that he had killed his wife at their home. Officers went to the property in Parbury Road, south-east London, and found the body of Tia Simmonds, 32, covered with clothing in the converted attic. The kitchen knife that had been used to stab her was found in their bedroom. A postmortem examination confirmed death from stab wounds. On Monday, Simmonds pleaded guilty to murder on what would have been the first day of his trial at the Old Bailey. His lawyer, Jonathan Higgs KC, said: “It’s a very disturbing case and one that remains in terms of his motivation very largely unexplained.” Previously, Simmonds had admitted manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility, a plea that was not accepted by the prosecution. He had also admitted two counts of rape in relation to a separate female, who cannot be identified for legal reasons. At his sentencing on Thursday, he was given 12-year sentences for each rape charge, to run concurrently with the life term. Det Supt Matt Webb, of Scotland Yard, described the murder as callous and “clearly premeditated”. He said: “He drugged his wife before attacking her with a knife; there was no opportunity for her to defend herself. He then left the home and was seen buying cleaning products and replacement bedding in an attempt to hide his crime. “The overwhelming evidence against him, and his own confession back in January, left Simmonds with no other option 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.”