500+ witnesses: Toyah Cordingley’s alleged killer Rajwinder Singh indictment presented in Cairns Supreme Court

There’s been a significant milestone in the progress of the court case against the man alleged to have murdered 24-year-old Toyah Cordingley.

The case against the man charged with murdering 24-year-old Toyah Cordingley has involved the interviewing of more than 500 witnesses and is expected to take three weeks, a court has heard.

Five days on from the fifth anniversary of her death, a murder charge against former Innisfail nurse Rajwinder Singh, 38, reached the Cairns Supreme Court.

Before Justice James Henry, just after 9am, Crown Prosecutor Nathan Crane, via video-link from Brisbane, presented the indictment.

Queensland Police officers and detectives escort Rajwinder Singh from a chartered jet to a waiting police car at Cairns Airport after being extradited from New Delhi to Cairns via Melbourne. Picture: Brendan Radke

Singh did not make an appearance and was represented by his lawyer Nick Dore, also appearing via video-link, who told the court more than 500 witnesses have been interviewed in the matter.

Mr Dore said there was still “a high volume of DNA evidence still to be disclosed” to the defence team.

He also said the defence team were still waiting on crime scene logs.

Mr Crane told the court the volume of evidence meant that the “trial may go into a third week” with preliminary timetabling suggesting the trial may take place in April 2024.

The matter was adjourned to be mentioned again on Thursday, December 14, at 9am at Cairns Supreme Court.

Toyah Cordingley was a lover of animals. Picture: Supplied

Mr Singh is alleged to have murdered Ms Cordingley while she was walking her dog on Wangetti Beach, north of Cairns, on October 20, 2018.

Queensland Police Service offered a $1m reward for information on the case in November 2022, the largest in the state’s history.

Mr Singh was arrested in India on November 25, 2022.

He spent his first night behind bars in Australia when he was extradited to Melbourne on March 1.

He arrived in Cairns on a private charter jet.

Outside court at Mr Singh’s first appearance in Cairns on March 3, his previous lawyer Derek Perkins told media: “Mr Singh is innocent until proven guilty,” he said.

Mr Singh’s case has since been taken on by Fisher Dore principal lawyer Nick Dore and Cairns-based Fisher Dore lawyer Michael Finch.

On May 3 the case was handed up from Cairns Magistrates Court to Cairns Supreme Court.

Originally published as 500+ witnesses: Toyah Cordingley’s alleged killer Rajwinder Singh indictment presented in Cairns Supreme Court