The man accused of killing South African Kerry Winter appeared briefly in a Dubai court on Tuesday, the SABC reported.

Mark Arnold was however not appearing for charges relating to the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend as her body has not yet been found.

He was in court for assaulting a neighbour who had intervened on seeing Arnold allegedly beating Winter with a baseball bat.

It is nearly six weeks since Winter went missing and Arnold has since admitted to assaulting her and dumping her body at sea.

Sapa