Fijian Man Jailed For Wife's Murder

A Fijian man has been today sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering his British wife in a frenzied attack.

Raymond Singh, 30, was told he must serve at least 18 years by the High Court in the Fijian capital Suva.

He denied killing his wife Wendy, 39, originally from Surrey, at their home in Fiji on 11 May, 2008.

Mrs Singh had lived with her husband in Great Yarmouth and Ipswich before they moved to the Pacific island in 2006.

The court heard Singh attacked his wife with a knife during an argument. His punishment is thought to be the maximum sentence under Fijian law, and was demanded by relatives of the 39-year-old.

Speaking after the guilty verdict was handed down and ahead of the sentencing, Mrs Singh's sister Christine Stringer said: "I just felt numb when I heard it. I was obviously very pleased, but I know that nothing will ever bring her back. All we can do now is hope and pray the maximum sentence is handed down."

In a statement to the court, she said: "Wendy's death made me realise what a devastating effect murder has - not just on the victim but on the whole family and friends.

"It's a horrific life changing experience - one we will never be able to forget."

Mrs Stringer also paid tribute to the Lucie Blackman Trust's Missing Abroad programme which helped fly Mrs Singh's son George back to the UK where he now lives.

She said: "Without them we would never have been able to get to Fiji, to bring George home and have Wendy's body flown home to the UK.

"They also worked non-stop all hours to help us, getting evidence put through to the court in Fiji and helping arrange everything over here. I can't thank them enough.

"Something like this makes you realise the importance of an organisation like Missing Abroad."

The programme - inspired by the case of Ms Blackman, who was murdered in Japan on July 1 2000 - was set up to assist the families of people missing or murdered abroad.

(JM/BMcC)