He also denies charges of fraud and theft

Sandeep Patel, on Thursday, lodged pleas of not guilty to several charges, at the High Court, in Glasgow, including the murder of Annie Temple at her home at West End, in the village, on October 25; theft; and fraud.

The murder charge alleges he repeatedly struck her on her head and body with a blunt instrument, obstructed her airways and asphyxiated her, by means unknown.

Another charge alleges that Patel, 37, between October 2 and 23 at Royal Bank branches in Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline, and at the Nationwide building Society in Kirkcaldy, completed and signed cheques in the name of Annie Jane Temple, with him being the beneficiary, without her knowledge or consent to a total value of £2,750. He is accuse of presenting the cheques and attempting to obtain £2,750 by fraud an obtaining £1,500 by fraud.

There are also further charges that between April 1 and 30 he stole sums of money totalling £1,000 from Annie Temple and that on July 18 he uttered a cheque for £5 which he had altered to read £500 for payment.

Appearing before Judge Lady Johnson, Patel denied all the charges and will now go forward to trial at the High Courts, in Edinburgh, in September.