A 52-year-old man accused of stabbing a woman to death at a

house

in Birmingham is to stand trial next year.

Inderjit Ram is alleged to have murdered Belinda Rose, 63, at a property in the Perry Barr area of the city on Saturday.

The victim, from Walsall, was pronounced dead at the scene, West Midlands Police said.

A preliminary hearing at Birmingham Crown Court on Wednesday was told that Ram's trial, fixed to start on February 10, is likely to last for around 10 days.

The defendant appeared in the dock wearing a grey sweatshirt and spoke only to confirm his name to the court clerk.

Ram, of Wensleydale Road, Great Barr, was remanded in custody until a plea hearing on December 6.