A Fife man is to stand trial charged with the rape and murder of his own sister.
Charles Gordon, from St Andrews, is charged with the sex attack on Elizabeth Bowe at a house in the town on September 17.
Gordon, 52, is also accused of killing the 50-year-old at the flat in Bobby Jones Place on the same day.
He faced the allegations during a short hearing at the High Court in Glasgow on Friday.
Prosecutors say he struggled with his sister before putting his hands around her neck.
The charges states Gordon put a dressing gown around her neck and a bag over her head which restricted her breathing.
He faces a third charge of behaving in a threatening manner towards detectives two days later.
Gordon has denied the charges against him.
Judge Lord Bonomy set a trial due to start in Livingston in May.
The case could last up to six days.
Ms Bowe was found badly injured in her flat at about 9pm on Saturday September 17.
She was rushed to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee for treatment but died three days later.
She had allegedly been seriously assaulted by another man the previous week.
On the day she died, a 51-year-old St Andrews man appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court charged with theft and assault to injury.
Detective Inspector Rory Hamilton from Police Scotland said at the time: “This is a tragic loss and our thoughts and condolences are with Elizabeth’s loved ones.”
The police watchdog is continuing to investigate the case after launching a probe at the end of September.
The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) has been tasked with looking at the initial police response leading up to the incident.
Ms Bowe is understood to have lived in her flat for around a year after being rehoused from the Levenmouth area.
