THREE men appeared in court yesterday charged with the murder of a young Newport father.

Karl Drummond, 36, of Attlee Court, Caerphilly, George Glover, 39, of Stanley Road, Liverpool and Shahid Rafiq, 36, of Bryn-yr-Ysgol, Caerphilly, appeared in Newport Crown Court yesterday for a pre-trial hearing.

All three are charged with murdering and conspiring to rob Tony Singh, who was also known as Saghir Abbaf Ahmed, on November 11 last year, and each previously entered not guilty pleas to both charges.

The hearing was called following concerns from the prosecution over whether all the parties involved would be ready to proceed to trial next month.

Mr Justice Roderick Evans KT adjourned the case for the trial to start during the week beginning July 4. All three defendants were remanded in custody.

Mr Singh was found dead at this home in Bryngwyn Road, Newport, on November 15, 2010, after suffering a head injury.

The 24-year-old, who had a four-year-old daughter Shanyra with long-term partner Esther Seivwright, was last seen alive when a taxi dropped him off near to Sunhealth Gym on Stow Hill between 11.30am and noon on November 11.

Following his death his family paid tribute to him describing him a a "doting, loving father" who was "outgoing, fun loving, easy going."