Husband accused of wife’s tractor slasher death loses fresh bid for bail

2 months ago 7

A man accused of killing his wife, whose body was found with 25 injuries near a tractor slasher has had a second bid for freedom, based on DNA evidence on a brick in a nearby paddock, denied.

The body of Amarjit Kaur Sardar, 41, was found at a property on Undullah Road in Woodhill, south of Brisbane, in February last year.

Her accused killer – her husband Yadwinder Singh – had called Triple Zero and was performing CPR when emergency services arrived at the scene, according to his legal team.

Forensic officers and detectives at the scene.

Andrew Bale, representing Singh, told the Supreme Court there was a change in the case surrounding DNA found at the scene, following his client’s committal hearing earlier this year. Singh’s first application for bail was denied last year.

Bale told the court it had been suggested a brick located 46 metres from the crime scene may have been the murder weapon.

He submitted that the brick was previously thought to be the weapon as it had Sardar’s DNA on it. But he said it was confirmed at Singh’s committal hearing his DNA was not on the brick.

Queensland police transport the accused, Yadwinder Singh, to the Beenleigh watchhouse.

Bale referred to expert evidence at the committal that it was a combination of 25 injuries that most likely caused Sardar’s death.

Bale said the brick was “clearly a red herring”.

“It’s quite curious as to what the Crown case actually is. It is a circumstantial case,” he said, adding there was nothing to link Singh to the brick next door.

Bale said the only reason the prosecution favoured the brick was because it had traces of Sardar’s DNA.

Amarjit Kaur Sardar, 41, was found with critical injuries at the Woodhill property.

“We know that the injuries themselves could have been occasioned in other ways,” he said.

Crown prosecutor Samantha O’Rourke said there had been no material change in the case.

O’Rourke said instead said the case was now stronger, given hair had been found on the brick.

The committal earlier this year heard blunt force trauma was favoured by forensic pathologist Dr Beng Ong as the cause of Sardar’s death.

O’Rourke said the expert’s evidence at committal that it could have been another part of the tractor was unsurprising, but in no way detracted from the prosecution’s case.

She said the evidence regarding the single source of DNA on the brick had always been part of the case.

“The Crown case, which includes a motive, the deceased wanted a divorce, and she expressly emailed that to [Singh], that he then goes about taking steps to have her removed from the business,” she said.

“They had had an argument that morning. There is evidence in the Crown case [of Singh] being abusive and controlling, and having very recently strangled the deceased.”

Bale asked Justice Rebecca Treston for the new bail application to be considered afresh. He told the court there was no prospect of a trial in the immediate future.

“Delay is real in this case particularly because of the nature of the Crown case,” he said.

After an adjournment of about two hours on Monday, Treston denied Singh’s application for bail.

Treston said she was not satisfied there had been a material change in the case. Singh is expected to be indicted in April.

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