Nina Kanagasingham is remanded in custody after transgender lawyer Sonia Burgess died under a train at King's Cross

This article is more than 9 years old

This article is more than 9 years old

A woman accused of pushing a transgender human rights lawyer under a train was herself undergoing sex change treatment, it emerged today.

Nina Kanagasingham, 34, was charged with the murder of Sonia Burgess, 63, known professionally by her legal name, David. Burgess was struck by a train at King's Cross tube station during the evening rush hour last Monday.

Kanagasingham sat in the dock at the Old Bailey wearing a prison tracksuit, her face covered in stubble.

Judge Timothy Pontius asked: "This defendant is in the process of undergoing a sex change. Has it been completed?" He was told it had not but that the defendant wished to be "addressed in her female name of Nina".

Burgess was hit by a train at one of London's busiest stations during rush hour, just after 6.30pm. The Piccadilly line of the tube was temporarily closed, causing severe disruption to traffic, and the station was evacuated to allow police to recover the body.

Since her death, tributes have been paid to Burgess, whom colleagues and friends described as a "trailblazing" human rights lawyer. The family of the solicitor have asked for her to be referred to as Sonia. Her former wife and children said in a statement: "Sonia was a loving and wonderful person and will be missed deeply."

A spokesman for Luqmani Thompson and Partners in Wood Green, north London, the law firm where she worked as David Burgess, said: "We are immensely saddened by the death of David Burgess, an enormously talented practitioner, an inspiration to a generation of lawyers practising in this field, and a great friend.

"David's contribution to legal development is unquestionable but what is sometimes forgotten is that he was a pioneer in setting legal tests and trends in genuinely trailblazing cases."

Kanagasingham was remanded in custody for a plea and case management hearing on 3 February. No bail application was made. Kanagasingham, of Cricklewood, north-west London, was remanded to Wandsworth men's prison.