Rajwinder Singh, the man convicted of the brutal murder of Toyah Cordingley on a Far North Queensland beach, has been officially placed among the state's most dangerous criminals. The 40-year-old former nurse has been transferred to a super-secure correctional facility, joining a notorious list of inmates deemed too high-risk for the general prison population.
From International Manhunt to Maximum Security
The journey to this high-security cell began with a horrific crime that shocked the nation. On October 21, 2018, 24-year-old Toyah Cordingley was attacked and killed while walking her dog on Wangetti Beach, north of Cairns. The community volunteer and pharmacy worker's death sparked one of Queensland's largest and most emotional police investigations.
Singh, an Indian-born Australian citizen who was working as a nurse in Innisfail at the time, fled to India just days after the murder. This initiated an extensive international manhunt. Following years of diplomatic efforts, he was extradited back to Australia in late 2022 to face justice.
In a Supreme Court hearing in Cairns, Singh pleaded guilty to murder in March 2024. Justice Lincoln Crowley later sentenced him to life in prison, stating he must serve a minimum of 20 years before being eligible for parole. The judge described the murder as a "violent and sustained attack" on a vulnerable young woman who was simply enjoying a day at the beach.
Life Inside a Supermax Facility
Authorities have now confirmed Singh's placement in a Queensland Corrective Services (QCS) high-security unit. These facilities are designed to house prisoners who pose an extreme risk to the safety of the community, other prisoners, or the security of the correctional centre itself.
Life in such a unit is starkly different from standard incarceration. Key features include:
- Extreme isolation: Inmates spend up to 23 hours a day in their cells.
- Limited contact: All movements are heavily monitored and restricted.
- Enhanced surveillance: Constant supervision via cameras and specialised staff.
- Controlled access: Visits are non-contact and subject to rigorous security checks.
Singh now finds himself alongside other infamous Queensland criminals, including the convicted murderer of schoolboy Daniel Morcombe, Brett Peter Cowan, and serial killer Max Sica. This transfer is a standard procedure for inmates given life sentences for crimes of such a severe nature.
A Community's Long Wait for Justice
The conclusion of the legal process and Singh's incarceration in a supermax prison brings a form of closure to a case that gripped Cairns and the wider Australian public for over five years. Toyah Cordingley's family, led by her father Troy Cordingley, endured an agonising wait for answers and justice.
Toyah's tragic death mobilised the local community, with hundreds of volunteers joining searches in the initial days. The subsequent campaign for justice highlighted the complexities of international extradition and the relentless pursuit required by the Queensland Police Service and the Australian Federal Police.
While no outcome can ever compensate for the loss of a loved one, the sentencing and secure imprisonment of Rajwinder Singh represent the final chapter in a long and painful legal battle. It ensures a dangerous offender is removed from society for a significant portion of his life, providing some measure of safety and justice served.
The case remains a sombre reminder of a life cut short and a community's resilience in the face of tragedy. Toyah Cordingley's memory continues to be honoured by those who knew her, while the system has now unequivocally classified her killer among Queensland's most evil.
