Man accused of staging wife's death to stand trial
A man accused of staging his wife's death as a tractor-drawn slasher accident will stand trial for murder despite his lawyer challenging experts about what caused her demise.
Yadwinder Singh, 46, was charged with the murder of his wife Amarjit Kaur Sardar, 41, and interfering with her corpse after an incident on their farm at Woodhill, south of Brisbane, in February 2024.
Sardar was discovered two metres away from the tractor's vegetation slashing attachment with both her legs amputated. She was declared dead at the scene.
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A man accused of staging his wife's death as a tractor-drawn slasher accident will stand trial for murder despite his lawyer challenging experts about what caused her demise. 9News
Forensic experts found her fatal injuries were probably not caused by the tractor and there was not enough blood to match the trauma, Beenleigh Magistrates Court was told on Friday.
Singh appeared before magistrate Shane Elliott for a committal hearing wearing a turban and a black Lonsdale t-shirt while sporting a long beard.
He previously told police he had been having an argument with his wife before he got into the tractor and reversed the vehicle with the slasher running.
Forensic pathologist Dr Beng Ong said Sardar's cause of death was a combination of the 25 injuries she suffered to her head, face and scalp, which were inconsistent with damage from slasher blades.
Yadwinder Singh, 46, was charged with the murder of his wife Amarjit Kaur Sardar (pictured), 41, and interfering with her corpse after an incident on their farm at Woodhill, south of Brisbane, in February 2024. 9News
"These injuries are probably more consistent with some sort of blunt trauma," Ong told the court.
Under cross-examination by Singh's solicitor Andrew Bale, he agreed some of the injuries to Sardar's head could be consistent with contact with non-bladed parts of the slasher.
Ong also testified there was very little of Sardar's blood found near the farm machinery.
"If she was still alive and her heart was beating, I would expect more," he said.
Ong agreed Sardar's death was the first of its type he had ever encountered and there were no similar documented cases.
Queensland Supreme Court previously heard a prosecution theory that Ms Sardar was killed by being hit in the head with a brick. 9News
Queensland Supreme Court previously heard a prosecution theory that Sardar was killed by being hit in the head with a brick.
The committal also heard testimony from DNA experts and crime-scene officers that a brick with Sardar's hair on it had been found about 40 metres from her body and across a fence line.
Singh did not wish to call evidence, make a statement or enter a plea when asked by the magistrate.
He was ordered to stand trial at a future date on the charges of murder and interfering with a corpse and was remanded in custody.
Singh did not wish to call evidence, make a statement or enter a plea when asked by the magistrate. 9News
Speaking outside court, Bale said the prosecution had not provided evidence that Sardar's death wasn't an accident.
"It may well be that what the police say is not a tragic accident is a tragic accident," he said.
"(Singh) was the person to call triple zero. He was utterly distraught and performing CPR when police arrived ... the brick really is best described as a red herring."
Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).
Help is available from the Men's Referral Service on 1300 766 491.
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