“No one should ever lose their mother in this way"
Tarsame Singh, aged 79, of Hornchurch, East London, received a life sentence for murdering his wife with a rounders bat at their home.
On May 2, 2023, Singh walked into Romford police station and told the front desk that he had just killed his wife.
Officers rushed to the property on Cowdray Way in Elm Park and found 77-year-old Maya Devi unresponsive on the living room floor.
The wooden rounders bat was found nearby.
Significant amounts of blood staining were found on the carpet and nearby walls.
Maya was pronounced dead at the scene and a post-mortem examination found the cause of death to be blunt force head injuries.
Singh was charged the next day and remanded into custody.
The couple ran the post office in nearby Rainham for many years before recently retiring.
Maya regularly visited the Havering Asian Social and Welfare Association (HASWA) community centre close to her home, where she practised yoga and met friends for lunch.
Nirmala Leal, an outreach worker at HASWA and a close friend, saw her a few hours before her death.
She said at the time: “I spoke to Maya yesterday afternoon, about 1:30 pm, and she seemed to be in a good mood.
“In fact, she was excited as she was going on holiday next week.
“She had come to the community centre for yoga, which she did every week, and told me that she wouldn’t be in from Wednesday as she was going to Lanzarote for six days with a female friend.
“Maya was such a lovely lady, really warm-hearted. She loved singing as much as yoga and had a smile for everyone.
“I can’t believe this has happened and that she has gone.
“I saw her just a few hours before her death, it doesn’t seem real that I won’t see her again.”
In August 2023, Singh pleaded guilty to his wife’s murder.
On November 1, he was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 15 years.
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Rogers, who led the investigation, said:
“This is a tragic case and one which has left the couple’s three children utterly distraught.
“No one should ever lose their mother in this way and we will continue to think of, and support them, at this difficult time.
“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.”
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