The man convicted of murdering Far North Queensland woman Toyah Cordingley has lodged an appeal against his conviction and sentence, reopening one of the state’s most closely followed homicide cases.
Former Innisfail nurse Rajwinder Singh, 41, was found guilty by a Supreme Court jury in December of murdering 24-year-old Toyah Cordingley at Wangetti Beach, north of Cairns, on October 21, 2018.
After a four-week trial, jurors accepted the prosecution’s case that Singh repeatedly stabbed Ms Cordingley and cut her throat at the secluded beach, where she had gone to walk her dog. The court heard Singh left Cairns abruptly the following day, abandoning his job at Innisfail Hospital before flying to India.
Singh remained overseas for more than four years, evading authorities until late 2022, when he was arrested weeks after Queensland Police announced a record $1 million reward for information leading to his arrest. He was extradited to Australia in early 2023 after agreeing to return voluntarily to face trial.
His first trial last year ended in a hung jury. At his second trial, Singh denied killing Ms Cordingley, claiming he had witnessed masked attackers on the beach and fled Australia, fearing for his own life. The jury rejected that account.
Last month, Singh was sentenced to mandatory life imprisonment and transferred to Wolston Correctional Centre, a high-security facility on Brisbane’s outskirts that houses male protection prisoners.
In sentencing, Supreme Court Justice Lincoln Crowley ordered Singh serve at least 25 years before being eligible for parole, exceeding the statutory minimum of 20 years sought by prosecutors. Taking time already served into account, Singh will not be eligible to apply for parole until March 2048, when he will be 63.
Justice Crowley described Singh as a “gutless coward”, telling the court his decision to flee the country without farewells to his family showed his sole concern was saving himself.
“Your conduct offers some insight into the selfish and heartless individual you truly are,” the judge said.
Under Queensland law, Singh had one month to lodge an appeal against his conviction and sentence. Court records confirm that the appeal has now been filed, though the specific grounds have not yet been made public.
The appeal will be considered by the Queensland Court of Appeal at a later date, extending a case that has deeply affected Ms Cordingley’s family and the Far North Queensland community for more than seven years.
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