HONEYMOON murder suspect Shrien Dewani will appear at a London court for the second part of a hearing to decide whether to extradite him to South Africa.

The country's authorities want him to stand trial on suspicion of orchestrating his wife Anni's murder during their honeymoon in November, an accusation the Bristol businessman vehemently denies.

Friends of Dewani have told the Evening Post that the 31-year-old talks about his wife all the time and that he misses her terribly.

For the last 94 days Dewani, from Westbury-on-Trym, has been kept at the Fromeside mental health unit in Fishponds, where he is being treated for severe post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

But on Monday he will sit in the dock at Belmarsh Magistrates' Court, just yards from his wife's grieving family, as his legal team fights the extradition bid.

Media organisations from around the world are expected at the hearing where Dewani's lawyer, Clare Montgomery QC, is due to put before District Judge Howard Riddle concerns for Dewani's mental health and his safety if he were extradited.

A legal source told the Post: "The two primary things that will be discussed are the safety and security that could be offered Shrien were he to go back to South Africa. As a foreign national, he wouldn't be entitled to bail, and therefore the conditions that he would be detained in are significant. The risk is that he would simply be put into one of the notorious South African jails, where gang violence, rape and the deliberate infection of new, vulnerable inmates with HIV are commonplace.

"The other part we will discuss is Shrien's medical condition, to see if he would be fit to stand trial."

If extradition is granted at the end of the four-day hearing there is still a lengthy legal process before anything actually happens. The matter will be referred to the Home Secretary, Theresa May, for further consideration, and she would again look at various legal issues.

Even if Judge Riddle orders the extradition, the case has to be reviewed by Mrs May, as she has the power to veto the extradition. She would have to satisfy herself that Dewani would be sent to a safe jurisdiction. Once she has made her decision there would then be an automatic option to appeal and have the decision judicially reviewed.

Dewani's family have been unswerving in their support of him.

A close friend of the family said: "The staff at Fromeside have been amazing and are doing their best to support him during this really difficult time, as has the local community and Shrien's friends and family.

"People have been writing letters and cards of support to him while he's been at the unit, even people he doesn't know. But he's not in the best shape, and is still severely depressed and suffering from the trauma. The family are saying that he's still talking about Anni all the time and that he misses her terribly. They say he's having immense difficulty in coming to terms with her loss."

Dewani's family will be with him throughout the extradition hearing next week. The family friend said: "It's going to be difficult for him. No court case is easy, but it's imperative that he's safe and secure in order for him to clear his name. Having so many people there will be a real boost."