Dharminder Singh, the former partner of Jana Armstrong, has appeared in Toowoomba magistrates court charged with her murder. Armstrong's remains were discovered in bushland near Ravensbourne national park on Saturday, after she went missing on 7 July.
Court appearance and charges
Singh, a 48-year-old taxi driver, covered his face and appeared to sob during the video link hearing. He faces charges of murder (domestic violence offence), arson, and breach of a bail condition. His lawyer, Ramli Salehkon from Toowoomba Multicultural Legal Service, stated outside court: "My client has cooperated with police in the course of the investigations into this matter. My client asserts his innocence."
Discovery of remains
Armstrong, a 30-year-old support worker and mother of a four-month-old baby, was last seen on 7 July. Her car was found a day later near her home in the Toowoomba suburb of Newtown. On Saturday, a group of pig hunters located her body off the New England Highway on a winding rural road near Ravensbourne national park. Police allege that the day after Armstrong disappeared, Singh wilfully and unlawfully set fire to a motor vehicle.
Family and community reaction
More than a dozen of Armstrong's family members attended the court hearing, including her baby, cradled by Armstrong's sister, Faith Isaacs. Isaacs said her nephew was the reason she was getting out of bed, adding: "He's doing pretty good. As good as he can be." The community has shown an outpouring of grief, with donations collected by Tony's Community Kitchen and flowers left outside Armstrong's home. The magistrate, Lisa O'Neil, requested a brief of evidence by 14 September, with the next mention on 1 October.
