A trial date has been set for a man accused of breaking into the west London home of a young mother and stabbing her to death as she slept in bed with her husband and three-month-old baby.

Daniel Sean James, 46, is accused of killing 24-year-old Kirandeep Kaur in her home in Hayes on the morning of July 12.

He is charged with her murder and is currently being held in custody.

James was due to appear at Isleworth Crown Court on Monday, but he was not present, the BBC reported.

His trial is due to start on April 12 next year.

The court heard James now uses a wheelchair, according to his lawyer Jonathan Higgs KC.

Prosecutor Mukul Chawla KC, however, said the defendant was "fully ambulatory" up until the time of the offence.

Mrs Kaur, who was originally from India, suffered a stab wound to the chest and was pronounced dead at 8.26am.

Her family previously spoke of their devastation following her death.

Ms Kaur’s sister, Gursharan, said she had moved to London to support her family.

Gursharan told the BBC that her sister said she was “happy” in London and thought it was “beautiful”.

“She loved us all very much,” Gusharan told the BBC.

"Our family is very poor. She always thinks about us first. She was very supportive to me. She was my world. My heart hurts."

Ms Kaur leaves behind three siblings, her parents, her husband and young child.