A FORMER Suffolk journalist accused of stabbing his wife to death in Fiji has denied committing the offence.

A FORMER Suffolk journalist accused of stabbing his wife to death in Fiji has denied committing the offence.

Father-of-two Raymond Singh, 29, previously of Grove Lane, Ipswich, is charged with the murder of his wife Wendy, 39, earlier this month.

Mrs Singh, a British national, is believed to have been found in a pool of blood in the couple's home in lower Ragg Avenue in Namadi Heights, in the Fijian capital Suva, on Sunday, May 11.

Singh pleaded not guilty to murder when he appeared before Justice Nazhat Shameem at The High Court in Suva yesterday.

Singh, who was a sub-editor with The Evening Star's sister paper the East Anglian Daily Times between October 2004 and January last year, has now had his case transferred to Justice Daniel Gounder, who will hear submissions on the bail review.

Magistrate Aminiasi Katonivualiku had previously refused to release Singh on bail because of the seriousness of the crime, and that he might unknowingly interfere with witnesses.

The couple, who had been married for three-and-a-half years, moved to Fiji last year so Singh could be closer to his family.

It is believed the defendant, his wife and two children who are aged three months and four-years-old and his 16-year-old stepson George, only moved to their new home in Namadi Heights a few weeks ago.

A trial date has now been set for January 19, 2009.