A FORMER Suffolk man has appeared in a court in Fiji accused of murdering his wife.Father-of-two Raymond Singh, 29, previously of Grove Lane, Ipswich, is charged with killing Wendy Linda Singh, 39.

A FORMER Suffolk man has appeared in a court in Fiji accused of murdering his wife.

Father-of-two Raymond Singh, 29, previously of Grove Lane, Ipswich, is charged with killing Wendy Linda Singh, 39.

Singh, a sub-editor with the Evening Star's sister paper the East Anglian Daily Times between October 2004 and January last year, appeared before a magistrate on Wednesday.

Mrs Singh, a British national who lived with her husband in Ipswich, is believed to have been found in a pool of blood in their home in lower Ragg Avenue in Namadi Heights, in the Fijian capital Suva, on Sunday, May 11.

It has been reported locally that the defendant stabbed his wife, who was born in Kings Lynn and also lived in Great Yarmouth, in the neck with a kitchen knife because she refused to feed their baby son.

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 - aged three-months and four years - and his 16-year-old stepson, only moved to their new home in Namadi Heights a few weeks ago.

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

Singh's lawyer, Haroon Ali Shah made submissions on why his client should be released on bail and offered to leave Singh's passport with the court so that he would not be a flight risk.

State prosecutor Aca Rayawa opposed the bail application claiming there was a risk of Singh interfering with witnesses as police had not completed their investigations.

Magistrate Katonivualiku said he had considered the bail submission and while the accused was entitled to bail the application was refused.

Singh, a first year law student at the University of the South Pacific and an employee of AusAid - the Australian Government's overseas aid programme - did not enter a plea.

His wife's family have now flown to Fiji in a bid to recover her body and bring her 16-year-old-son, who suffers from autism, back to the UK.

Her sister, Christine, who lives on the Isle of Wight, said: “My sister was fun loving, always smiling and lived life to the full. She'd always help anyone. I just want to get out there and bring her home, and say goodbye.”