POSSESSIVE, paranoid and ultimately homicidal Raymond Singh was never able to overcome his volatile temper or self-absorbed nature.

POSSESSIVE, paranoid and ultimately homicidal Raymond Singh was never able to overcome his volatile temper or self-absorbed nature.

However, the flaws in his character were masked by a veneer of charm when he met his wife-to-be, Wendy Artiss at the end of 2002.

Her sister Christine Stringer said Wendy became besotted with Singh after she went out to Fiji for a few months as part of a college environmental course.

The ill-fated couple met when Wendy and other students went to a party. Although they fell in love, she did not tell her family back home immediately.

Mrs Stringer, who lives in the Isle of Wight, said: “Wendy kept it very, very, quiet. It was not until she came home and found out she was pregnant that she told us about him. They decided they both wanted a relationship.

“She cashed in her life insurances to pay for him to come over to England. Wendy was madly in love. She thought he was the most wonderful thing going. He had obviously swept her off her feet and charmed her.

“They got married and had a baby. From there on they lived in Yarmouth for a while and he was commuting to Ipswich. Then they moved over to Ipswich.”

Although the Singhs married in Gorleston in the summer of 2003, Mrs Stringer did not meet Raymond Singh until her grandmother's funeral, which was held at Southwark Cathedral.

Mrs Stringer, 37, said: “We all met up and went to a pub. We had a lovely afternoon showing Ray around London. I thought then she had found someone who was charming.

“The next day he came over and cooked a curry. We had a laugh and a joke and he was fine. Wendy seemed happy.”

However by the end of the year, signs of Singh's paranoia and temper began to show.

Mrs Stringer said: “It was just before Christmas. Wendy was phoning me all the time. She wasn't particularly happy.

“At Christmas she said 'don't let him know you know'. They came over for Christmas and Christmas Day was fine. Boxing night was when he kicked off and I really saw a different side of him.

“Anything Wendy did was wrong and was not going to be right. He bought her a ring for Christmas and because she didn't say thank you or something, Ray was kicking off all the time about it. He stormed off up the stairs. Then he came down and started shouting in the front room. I said 'be quiet' and he had a go at me.”

Mrs Stringer claimed things then went from bad to worse for her sister, whose husband commuted to Ipswich to work nights as a sub-editor on the East Anglian Daily Times.

As time went on the Singhs moved to Grove Lane, Ipswich so they could be closer to his work.

While in Ipswich, Singh ended up in court for domestic violence, as his temper continued to spiral out of control, Mrs Stringer believes Singh's violent outbursts were related to his need for dominance.

She said: “He was a complete control freak. He wanted her attention full-time all the time. I think he had some sort of hold over her. I think Wendy thought she could help him. She there was there was some good there I suppose.

“Wendy was an understanding person, always smiling. Every picture you see, she has got a smile. I never knew her to be miserable. She had lots of friends and was very laid back. Wendy was remarkable.

“She was lovely and a real strength to a lot of people. Even now I get people say she was a real inspiration to their lives.”

“I hate him, absolutely despise the man. For what he did and for him to stand there in court and say he was not guilty, that man can't have a conscience.”

TWO years before Raymond Singh murdered his wife he unleashed a furious attack on her which led to him appearing before Ipswich magistrates.

In an attempt to conceal his crime from work colleagues at the East Anglian Daily Times he told them he would not be able to come in for a while as he had been diagnosed with cancer and needed a course of chemotherapy.

However, it transpired that the real reason was that Singh had punched and scratched his wife Wendy during a prolonged attack at their home.

At his sentencing in April 2006 the court ruled he had spent long enough behind bars after an attack, which took place a month earlier.

The 27-year-old had pleaded guilty to actual bodily harm on his wife on March 12. Magistrates heard the couple had been having difficulties in their relationship.

During the sentencing, Ian Pells, prosecuting, said violence flared after Singh began to argue with his wife, claiming she was not showing him enough love and attention.

He told the court Singh had grabbed Mrs Singh around the head and pulled her towards him, scratching her face until the skin broke.

Later that evening when she had gone to bed Singh, who had been drinking and was on anti-depressants, entered the bedroom and a further argument ensued. He pulled his wife's hair and followed her into the living room where she had fled and pushed her into a filing cabinet and then a desk.

When his wife tried to call the police he pulled the phone line from the wall. She managed to run from of the house but Singh followed and began punching her on top of her head.

The attack only stopped when Mrs Singh, who was later treated for minor head injuries, managed to run to a neighbour's house where the police were called.

Charles Riddleston, mitigating for Singh, said his client was ashamed of his actions. He added Singh had written a letter of remorse. Sentencing Singh to a two-year community order with a two-year supervision requirement, chairman of the bench David Broughton said: “We have seen evidence of your remorse and the sincere feelings you still have for your family. You have also admitted you need help."

Sadly, despite undergoing an anger management course, the help Singh did get was not enough to ultimately save his wife.