A man has been charged with stabbing his wife to death and setting their home on fire, a court has heard.

Amidu Koroma, 47, is accused of murdering Mariam Kamara, 46, at a property in Railton Road, Brixton, south London, on 24 January. Firefighters found Ms. Kamara’s remains after putting out a blaze centered in the bedroom.

Mr. Koroma did not attend the hearing at the Old Bailey but was represented by his lawyers.

Ms. Kamara’s charred remains were found after firefighters were called to put out a blaze centered in the bedroom on January 24. A post-mortem examination found she had allegedly been stabbed eight times, with two fatal wounds to the neck and face. The absence of smoke in her lungs suggested she died before the fire started, it is claimed.

Koroma, who was born in Sierra Leone, was subsequently charged with arson with intent to endanger life and murder. On Friday, his case was brought before Judge Mark Lucraft QC at the Old Bailey with the defendant absent but represented by lawyers.

The judge set a plea hearing for July 15 and remanded the defendant into custody.