Rajwinder Singh sentenced in Cairns Supreme Court for murder of Toyah Cordingley
The judge who sentenced “depraved” killer Rajwinder Singh said Toyah Cordingley must have caught him in an “activity of a sexual or perverted nature” before she was murdered.
Rajwinder Singh will spend at least 25 years in jail after he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the “vicious, sickening, shocking and depraved” murder of 24-year-old Toyah Cordingley at Wangetti Beach seven years ago.
Justice Lincoln Crowley described Singh, 41, a former nurse, as “selfish” and a “gutless coward” as he recounted Ms Cordingley’s final moments and described the impact of her loss of on her family, friends and the wider Cairns community.
Singh hung his head throughout his sentence.
WATCH THE FULL SENTENCING IN THE PLAYER ABOVE
He appeared to close his eyes while he stood in the dock and did not look at Ms Cordingley’s parents when they delivered their victim impact statements.
“You had your head down Mr Singh, but I hope you listened – so you understand the depths of their pain and the loss you caused to their family,” Justice Crowley said.
“Although this trial is about Toyah’s death, the evidence (presented showed) she was a vibrant, outgoing beautiful person, someone who was caring, kind, special, a precious person – who was loved and cherished by her family and friend – you ended her life.
“Your actions have caused irreparable harm … and left a void that will never be filled.
“The sentence will provide some measure of justice for Toyah’s family, friends and the wider community, but it will never solve the grief and loss they have suffered because of your actions.”
Crown prosecutor Nathan Crane submitted that Singh’s parole eligibility should be “delayed” by five years because of the aggravating features of the killing.
Life imprisonment is the mandatory sentence for a murder conviction, and the standard non-parole period is 20 years.
Justice Crowley agreed, saying the “moral gravity” and seriousness of Singh’s crime “could not be more grave”.
He set a non-parole period of 25 years, and took into account the 1013 days Singh has spent in pre-sentence custody since his arrest in India in 2022.
“It’s hard to imagine what motivated you to set upon that vulnerable young woman … it is quite possible that she discovered you there engaged in some type of disgraceful and embarrassing activity in that secluded spot, and your true self could emerge, uninhibited, and your deeper darker urges and desires could present themselves,” Justice Crowley said.
He said the place where Ms Cordingley was killed at Wangetti Beach was secluded, and known to be frequented by nudists and naturists as well as people walking their dogs.
“The exact circumstances of your meeting were unknown … The obvious explanation that comes to mind is that Ms Cordingley caught you and you approached her to engage in some type of activity of a sexual or perverted nature and she challenged you,” Justice Crowley said.
“Given that you took her mobile phone after you killed her raises the prospect that she may have recorded you and sought to call the authorities after catching you doing whatever you were doing.”
He said the “sickening act of violence and depravity” that took Toyah Cordingley’s life happened between 3:17pm and 4:50pm on October 21, in 2018.
Justice Crowley said Ms Cordingley was “butchered”, stabbed repeatedly to her left side, before Singh “cut her throat several times, likely four, slicing arteries, veins, all the way to the base of her spine.”
Justice Crowley described Singh as a “gutless coward” and “selfish and heartless”, saying he went to great lengths to conceal his crime at the beach, flee Australia, then to avoid accountability when he was ultimately found in India four years later.
“You murdered Toyah and attempted to cover your crime. You concealed her body, disposed of her possession on the long drive back to Innisfail … Almost immediately, you set in motion your hasty ill-advised plan to flee the country,” Justice Crowley said.
“You left your home for the final time on Monday afternoon you took flight like a gutless coward, lying to friends and family, without saying a proper goodbye to your wife and children. Superficial persona you made for yourself – selfish and heartless individual you truly are.”
He said the “only contact” Singh made to wrap up his life in Innisfail was to call his workplace and ask for his severance pay.
The court was told he fled to live in a temple in India, where he was arrested in November 2022, then extradited to Australia in March 2023, where he “falsely claimed” to an undercover police officer that he saw two masked men murder Ms Cordingley.
“All of that was a concocted story to explain why you might have been in the area, why her phone was moving in sync with your car,” Justice Crowley said.
The court was told Singh tried to shift the blame to others during the trial, casting his net wide in “besmirching and embarrassing others”, such as Ms Cordingley’s boyfriend Marco Heidenreich.
“You have shown no remorse for your offending. You denied all responsibility. Your motivations are unknown. The community must be protected.”
Mr Singh’s barrister Gregory McGuire KC said Singh had no criminal history.
“He had no history of any anti-social behaviour whatsoever, in fact quite the opposite,” Mr McGuire said.
“One can only speculate about what happened on the beach. Essentially, it is one incident of criminality over a very short period of time.”
He submitted that Justice Lincoln Crowley should make “no order other than the mandatory one” of 20 years non-parole.
Toyah Cordingley’s family spoke of their daughter’s love for life, generosity and their profound loss.
“You stole the precious life of our daughter from us … and it was done in the most horrendous way,” Mrs Gardiner said.
She said Singh had taken the “shine” from every family milestone and event in the past seven years; she described their daughter’s absence as an ever-present “elephant in the room” – an unspoken and enduring scar.
She said her daughter had been missed silently through her sister’s graduation and her brother’s wedding.
“Toyah was an innocent young woman full of love for everything in her life and of course for her animals,” Mrs Gardiner said.
“She never hurt anyone. For the rest of our lives, we will wonder about the life she might have lived.”
Mrs Gardiner reiterated that her family would never forgive Singh, contradicting his defence lawyer’s submission that it was easy to make an innocent man look guilty.
“It was impossible to make a guilty man look innocent,” Mrs Gardiner said.
Her statement was met with applause from the full public gallery.
Troy Cordingley spoke next.
Toyah Cordingley was his only child, and he described her as “kind, gentle and caring”.
“She was always prepared to go out of her way to help people, (and was) so generous with her time and her emotions … She helped me to become a better person.”
He told the court he had been unable to work since his daughter’s death, living an “isolated life where I rarely leave my home,” and lived with a range of complex mental health issues including post-traumatic stress disorder.
He said he had few social interactions and friends had fallen away because “I understand that most of them do not know what to say to me.”
“I am lost, heartbroken and lonely and find it hard to find a way forward with a life without Toyah. The pain is unbearable.”
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