His penis belongs to me, says wife

An Adelaide woman who allegedly set fire to her husband's genitals allegedly said that his "penis belongs to me", a court has been told.

Rajini Narayan, 44, had originally been charged with endangering life and arson offences after she allegedly torched the family's Unley home, in Adelaide's eastern suburbs on December 8.

The charge was upgraded to murder after her 47-year-old husband, Satish Narayan, died in hospital last week.

Prosecutors on Monday told the Adelaide Magistrates Court that Rajini Narayan confessed to neighbours that she had set her husband alight while he was sleeping after learning he was having an affair.

Lucy Boord, for the Crown, said Narayan told her neighbours she was a "jealous wife" and that her husband's "penis should belong to her".

Narayan allegedly said: "I just wanted to burn his penis so it belongs to me and no one else ... I didn't mean this to happen."

Narayan was remanded in custody and has been charged with murder, arson and three counts of endangering life, due to the couple's three children being home when the fire took hold.

It is expected Narayan will apply for bail when she reappears in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Friday, pending results of a psychological assessment.

- AAP