A British banker accused of murdering two Indonesian women who were found mutilated in his upscale Hong Kong apartment appeared at the High Court yesterday, ahead of his October trial.

Rurik Jutting, a 31-year-old former Bank of America Merrill Lynch employee, listened attentively at the pre-trial hearing, which was closed to the public.

Jutting has previously indicated he would plead not guilty to two charges of murder.

Dressed in a light blue shirt and wearing black-rimmed glasses, Jutting, visibly thinner than at previous appearances, remained impassive throughout, surrounded by four security guards. He would face life in prison if convicted on the murder charges.

Seneng Mujiasih and Sumarti Ningsih, both in their 20s, were found dead in Jutting's flat on November 1 after he called police to the scene. Mujiasih was found in the living room, naked and with knife wounds to her legs and buttocks, while the decaying body of Ningsih was found hours later in a suitcase on the balcony.

The killings shocked the city of 7 million, typically regarded as safe and known for its glitzy skyscrapers, and shone a spotlight on the seedy underbelly of the financial hub.

Police have said cocaine and sex toys were found in Jutting's apartment, which was just a few streets away from Hong Kong's red-light district, where he was reportedly a regular.