A MAN accused of murdering his pregnant wife and the destruction of her unborn child today made his first appearance at Bradford Crown Court.

Tariq Khan, 26, of Clarendon Court, Manningham, Bradford, also faces a charge of assaulting Nadia Khan by beating her, on May 17.

Mrs Khan, 24, was stabbed to death at her home in Holker Street, Manningham, Bradford, on Sunday afternoon.

The Recorder of Bradford, Judge Roger Thomas QC, set a trial date of Monday, December 7.

Khan's barrister, Stephen Grattage, said the case would last up to five days, if expert medical evidence was included.

Khan was assisted by an interpreter in his native tongue, Hindkho, a language from the Attock district in the north west of Pakistan.

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He appeared in the dock wearing a grey round-necked sweatshirt and casual dark trousers.

Prosecutor Bashir Amhed said Khan could not recall what happened at "the crucial point" of the alleged murder.

Mr Grattage said the defence team had secured legal aid authority for the preparation of psychiatric and/or psychological reports.

He told the Recorder: "He insists he has no recollection of the actual mechanism of the act."

Mr Bashir said the Crown planned to instruct Graham Reeds QC to prosecute the case.

Khan will next be brought to court on September 15 for a plea and case management hearing when he will enter pleas to the charges.

He stood impassively in the dock as Judge Thomas told him: "You are charged, of course, with killing your wife, so that case is now here in court.

"You are also charged with assaulting her a few weeks before that. That case is also here, and the two cases will be considered together."

The judge said Khan would be back in court in more than two months' time.

"It is a long time for your wife's family to wait to understand what has happened in this terrible case," he said.

Khan was remanded back into custody.

Detectives involved in the investigation and members of the couple's family sat in the public gallery for the short hearing.