Indian-Origin Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Beach Murder in Australia

Justice Lincoln Crowley indicated that the motive behind Rajwinder Singh's murder remained "unknown".

Canberra:

An Indian-origin individual has received a 25-year prison sentence for murdering a 24-year-old woman at an Australian beach in Queensland in 2018, according to local media sources. The Supreme Court in Cairns determined on Monday that former nurse Rajwinder Singh, aged 41, was guilty of killing Toyah Cordingley, as reported by ABC News on Tuesday.

Justice Lincoln Crowley described Rajwinder Singh's murder motive as "unknown," characterizing the incident as an "opportunistic killing," the report stated. Singh killed Cordingley while she was walking her dog at Wangetti Beach, north of Cairns, on October 21, 2018, according to The Guardian's Tuesday report. Cordingley was employed at a health food and pharmacy store in Port Douglas and also volunteered at an animal refuge.

Following the murder, Singh fled to India, abandoning his wife, children, and parents in Australia. "You departed without even saying a proper farewell to your wife, your parents, your children, demonstrating that your only concern was self-preservation, regardless of the consequences for your family," ABC News quoted Crowley as saying. Singh received a non-parole period of 25 years, seven years after Cordingley's murder.

He was extradited from India two years ago after Queensland police offered an AUD 1 million reward for information leading to his capture, the report added.