"Rot in hell, you..." Indian-origin man in Australia convicted of murdering woman 7 years ago; court now convicts him

News Topical, Digital Desk : An Indian-origin man was convicted in 2018 of murdering a woman. Seven years ago, the body of an Australian woman was found on a deserted beach in Queensland.

Toyah Cordingley's body was found buried in a secluded patch of sand dunes at Wangetti Beach, about 40 km north of Cairns, on October 22, 2018. According to authorities, the accused, Rajwinder Singh, had gone to the beach after a fight with his wife. He was allegedly carrying some fruit and a kitchen knife.

What is the matter?

Cordingley, a pharmacy worker, was walking her dog on the beach. When Cordingley's dog barked at Singh, the two got into an argument. Enraged, Singh stabbed her and buried her body in the sand. He also tied her dog to a tree.

As the jury delivered its verdict in the Cairns Supreme Court, Cordingley's father shouted at the accused, "Rot in hell, you..." However, Singh appeared calm on the surface.

Rajwinder Singh absconded after the murder

Singh fled Australia two days after the murder, leaving behind his job, wife, and three children. He claimed his grandfather was ill. He remained on the run for four years, and during this time, he did not contact his family. Within three weeks of the murder, police became suspicious of Singh because the location of his car matched the location of Cordingley's mobile phone.

Queensland Police offered a reward of one million Australian dollars for information leading to Singh's arrest—the largest reward ever offered by the department. In November 2022, the Delhi Police Special Cell arrested him from a gurdwara in Delhi. He was deported from India to Australia in 2023.

The sentencing hearing is scheduled for

The trial in this case was scheduled to begin in 2024, but was postponed due to delays in receiving documents. During the trial, one juror was removed after allegations of bias and misconduct, but the court deemed the remaining jurors impartial and allowed the trial to continue. The court will hear arguments on sentencing on Tuesday, the next phase of this long-running case.

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