British Sikh who murdered his wife jailed for life

He must serve a minimum of 15 years behind bars before being considered for parole, which means he is likely to spend the rest of his life in prison

A 79-year-old British Sikh man, who had walked into a London police station earlier this year to inform officers that he had killed his wife and later pleaded guilty to murdering her with a wooden bat used in the English game of rounders, was on Wednesday sentenced to life imprisonment by a UK court.

Tarsame Singh was sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court for killing 77-year-old Maya Devi at their home in Hornchurch, East London, back in May.

Tarsame Singh was sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court for killing 77-year-old Maya Devi at their home in Hornchurch, East London, back in May.

He must serve a minimum of 15 years behind bars before being considered for parole, which means he is likely to spend the rest of his life in prison.

“This is a tragic case and one which has left the couple’s three children utterly distraught,” said metropolitan police detective chief inspector Mark Rogers, who led the murder investigation.

“No one should ever lose their mother in this way, and we will continue to think of and support them at this difficult time. Tarsame Singh has never admitted what caused him to act in such a violent way that evening, but we are pleased he has pleaded guilty and will now face a significant custodial sentence,” he said

The court heard that on May 2, Singh walked into Romford police station in London and told the front desk that he had just killed his wife. Officers immediately attended the house on Cowdray Way in Elm Park and found Maya Devi unresponsive on the living room floor. A wooden rounder bat, later revealed as the murder weapon, was found nearby.

The police revealed that significant amounts of blood stains were found on the carpet and nearby walls, and Maya Devi was pronounced dead at the scene. A post-mortem examination found the cause of death to be blunt force head injuries. Tarsame Singh was charged on May 3 and remanded into custody. In August, he pleaded guilty to the murder of his wife at a hearing in Snaresbrook Crown Court.