A former Bermuda prosecutor has been charged with murdering his estranged wife in Australia.

Lloyd Rayney lived on the Island with his wife Corryn Rayney when he worked for the Department of Public Prosecutions in 2003 and 2004.

They then moved to Perth where Mr Rayney carried on practising as a high profile lawyer.

Mrs Rayney, 44, a former Western Australia Supreme Court Registrar, went missing in August 2007.

Her body was found in a bush grave in Kings Park, Perth, nine days later. The couple have two young daughters.

Police named Mr Rayney shortly afterwards as their prime and only suspect in the killing. The announcement prompted him to launch defamation proceedings against Western Australia Police, which are ongoing.

According to news reports from Australia, detectives charged Mr Rayney with wilful murder yesterday (December 8) after arresting him in the city and questioning him for several hours.

He is scheduled to appear in the Perth Magistrates' Court today.

Mr. Rayney was mentor to former Crown counsel Graveney Bannister during his time at the Bermuda DPP's office. The pair became close friends, as did Mrs Rayney and Mr Bannister's wife Deeanda.

Reacting to reports of the murder charge, Mr Bannister, who now works as a defence lawyer, said yesterday: “I really find this hard to believe.

“I am in shock by this news, if that is indeed so. One has to await the process and outcome before rushing to judgement however.”

Last night, The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Western Australia's legal fraternity were shocked when news began to filter through on Wednesday.

“We started to hear about it as we came out of court at about lunchtime and they're wasn't anyone in our chambers, around the whole profession, that wasn't profoundly shocked by the development and the way it was done,” lawyer Tom Percy told Fairfax Radio.