A NORTH-EAST businessman has lost his battle to avoid extradition to Singapore for a double-murder trial.

A judge in Australia has upheld a decision that Michael McCrea, who grew up in Penshaw, Wearside, should be deported over the deaths of his chauffeur and the driver's girlfriend.

Singapore has a mandatory death penalty for murder, but at Melbourne's Federal Court yesterday, Justice Tony North dismissed Mr McCrea's appeal against extradition.

In a case watched by Mr McCrea's wife, Brunetta, the mother of his two sons, and British vice-consul Phil Mudie, the judge ruled that a promise from Singapore not to execute Mr McCrea if convicted was sufficient for the deportation to take place.

But the 46-year-old cannot be sent to south-east Asia immediately.

His barrister indicated they will appeal to a full sitting of the Federal Court and, if this fails, to the High Court.

Speaking through his solicitor after the ruling, Mr McCrea said: "I am not angry or emotional about this, but very disappointed. We got a good hearing and were confident the decision would go our way. Now I can only hope that the appeal will succeed."

Lawyer Terry Grundy said: "We think the judge has erred. He has decided that the Federal Court does not have the power to inquire into the laws of another country."

Mr Grundy said he would complain to the court after Mr McCrea was not allowed to speak with Mr Mudie in the courtroom.

Mr McCrea, a former financial advisor, fled Singapore in January 2002 - days before the decomposing corpses of 46-year-old father-of-three Kho Nai Guan and his girlfriend, Lan Ya Ming, 30, were discovered in an abandoned Daewoo limousine.

He flew to the UK via Germany and visited family and friends, before travelling to Australia on a false passport. He was arrested in Melbourne in May 2002.

Mr McCrea initially said he had been attacked by home intruders, but he later admitted that was a lie and now says that he defended himself when Kho attacked him with a vase.

He maintains he was not responsible for Lan's death, saying she took an overdose - though post-mortem examinations in Singapore say both died from asphyxiation.

Mr McCrea's co-accused, his 23-year-old Singaporean girlfriend, Audrey Ong, is already serving 12 years after admitting disposing of evidence earlier this year - cleaning blood from the flat and plotting to have the bodies removed.