On Tuesday in the Brisbane Supreme Court, legal teams heard the appeal of Rajwinder Singh against his conviction and life sentence for the 2018 murder of 24-year-old Toyah Cordingley. Singh was found guilty by a Cairns Supreme Court jury in December 2025 following a four-week trial for stabbing Ms Cordingley, slashing her throat, and burying her in a shallow grave on Wangetti Beach north of Cairns.
Ms Cordingley had gone missing on October 21, 2018, after driving to Wangetti Beach to walk her dog. Her family raised the alarm when she failed to return, and her father discovered her body half-buried in the sand dunes the following morning. Police located her dog, Indie, tied tightly to a tree nearby. The day after the discovery, Singh booked a flight to India, leaving his family behind, before Queensland Police later arrested him and offered a record $1 million reward for information leading to the crime.
Defence questions mid-trial juror dismissal
Counsel for Singh, Saul Holt KC, told the Brisbane Supreme Court that the trial should not have proceeded after Justice Lincoln Crowley discharged a juror twelve days into proceedings. Justice Crowley received a note from a jury representative stating that juror 5 was conducting his own investigation and held a bias against police, along with remarks regarding a personal history of violence. Mr Holt argued that the judge dismissed juror 5 without investigating what triggered the note, creating a risk that untested evidence or a personality clash influenced the decision.
Crown prosecutor Todd Fuller KC countered that reading the note to the remaining jurors caused no complaints, and conducting a wider inquiry risked compromising jury independence or accidentally disclosing deliberations. The defence challenged a site inspection trip to Wangetti Beach, alleging jurors broke into small groups and roamed separately. Mr Fuller maintained that the jury remained under the constant control of the court and police supervision, shielded from outside influence.
Did You Know? Following the discovery of Toyah Cordingley’s body on October 22, 2018, Queensland Police offered a record $1 million reward in late 2022 for information leading to the capture of the suspect, who had fled to India the day after the crime.
Lawyers dispute 25-year non-parole period
Singh’s legal team also attacked the length of his sentence, describing the 25-year non-parole period—five years beyond the statutory minimum—as manifestly excessive. Mr Holt argued that the brutality of the crime, the treatment of the body, and the public setting should not have extended the sentence, nor should the defence’s trial strategy of pointing to other potential suspects like Ms Cordingley’s former boyfriend, Marco Heidenreich. Justice David Boddice questioned whether slashing a stranger’s throat four times on a public beach warranted more leniency, while Mr Fuller defended the sentencing as fully aligned with the law and judicial discretion.
Expert Insight: Appeal courts evaluate trial fairness strictly through procedural adherence rather than rehearing evidence from scratch. The outcome of this hearing hinges on whether the trial judge erred in handling the dismissed juror note without an in-depth inquiry, balancing the absolute necessity of jury impartiality against the risks of disrupting deliberations.
Appellate judges reserve final decision
The three justices on the Queensland Court of Appeal have reserved their verdict and will consider their decision over the coming weeks. The appeal court’s ruling will determine whether Singh’s conviction stands, whether a retrial is ordered, or whether his 25-year non-parole period is adjusted.
Convicted killer challenges trial outcomes
When was Toyah Cordingley killed?
Toyah Cordingley was killed on October 21, 2018, while walking her dog along Wangetti Beach, north of Cairns.
Who was convicted of the murder?
Rajwinder Singh, a former Innisfail nurse, was found guilty of her murder by a Cairns Supreme Court jury in December last year following a four-week trial.
What are the primary grounds for the appeal?
Singh’s defence team is appealing based on several trial issues, including the mid-trial discharge of a juror without further investigation, jury separation during a site inspection at Wangetti Beach, and a sentence they argue is manifestly excessive.
How will the appellate court’s final decision impact legal precedent regarding juror management during criminal trials in Queensland?
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