A MAN appeared in court yesterday to deny the murder of his girlfriend who died in a house fire.
John Collings, 47, is accused of killing 30-year-old university graduate Victoria Barker on August 12, 2000.
Mr Collings entered a not guilty plea during a hearing at Newcastle Crown Court. He was remanded in custody until his trial, which will take place later this year.
The couple's ground-floor flat, in Coquet Gardens, South Stanley, County Durham, was destroyed in the blaze.
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