THE sister of a man who was stabbed to death at a house party made her first appearance before a judge today charged with his murder.

Claire Gray was remanded in custody after a brief hearing at Teesside Crown Court and was told her trial is likely to take place next March.

The 21-year-old did not enter a plea during the five-minute case, and will return to the court for a second hearing in early January.

The body of her brother Ashley Gray, 24, was found in the living room of his High Street home in Ferryhill Station, County Durham, late last Friday night.

He was rushed to Darlington Memorial Hospital with a stab wound in his chest but died later.

Miss Gray, of Coniston Road, Ferryhill, was one of a number of people arrested as officers recovered a knife and cordoned off several properties.

Ten of the eleven who were held were released without charge, but Miss Gray was charged with her brother’s murder on Sunday morning.

She will next appear in court for a plea and case management hearing in early January. No application for bail was made by her lawyers yesterday.