NEIGHBOURS have spoken of their shock and sadness after a Southampton man was charged with the murder of his wife.

Dimitri Avdalyan, 33, appeared in court yesterday charged with the murder of Inga Mhoyan after the 23-year-old woman was found with knife injuries in a Southampton churchyard.

As reported in later editions of the Daily Echo yesterday, Mr Avdalyan was remanded in custody for seven days when he appeared before Southampton magistrates.

Police found the woman in a pool of blood at St Andrew's United Reformed church in Alma Road, shortly after 8pm on Saturday.

She was rushed to Southampton General Hospital but died shortly afterwards from her injuries.

The scene was cordoned off but services continued at the church on Sunday, where minister the Rev Cliff Bembridge said the congregation was praying for those involved.

Today an elderly female neighbour of the couple in Gordon Avenue, Portswood, spoke of her horror at learning the news.

"They've always been so nice in there - they behaved very well. I often see a young man coming out of the house and he always says hello," said the pensioner, who asked not to be named. "I can't believe this has happened.

She added: "This street has changed so much in recent years. There are so many new people moving in that it's hard to keep track of who's around."

The couple are both from the former Soviet state of Georgia.

At the large semi-detached house they shared with three Polish people and one other Georgian woman, new resident Acunika Peponyan said: "I have only been here a week. I have seen Dimitri but have not really spoken to him. This is very sad."

A spokesman from B&J Property, which owns the house, said at first he hadn't realised the couple were involved in the incident, but refused to comment further.

Detectives were continuing their house-to-house inquiries in the quiet street yesterday afternoon, where news of the death had shocked residents.