The estranged wife of Dharminder Singh, a Toowoomba taxi driver accused of murdering Jana Armstrong, has described the torment her family has endured since her husband allegedly began a relationship with the victim. Singh is accused of strangling Ms. Armstrong, 30, after an argument and dumping her body off a steep embankment west of Brisbane.
Singh's wife, who has not been named due to safety concerns, told the Daily Mail that her husband left her for Ms. Armstrong approximately three years ago. "Before, when she's not in my life, my life is very very happy," the wife said. "After that, my life is totally... everything changed. I am very sad for her [that she died]."
Singh, 48, shared a four-month-old son with Ms. Armstrong. Newly uncovered photographs show him as a devoted family man in the years prior to meeting Ms. Armstrong, attending family events with his wife and children. His wife stated that their life was happy before he left her for Ms. Armstrong.
Police allege Singh strangled Ms. Armstrong after an argument at a unit in Newtown, a suburb of Toowoomba, on July 7. Ms. Armstrong, a care worker, was last seen that evening. Her white Hyundai Kona was found abandoned near her home on July 8. Her body was discovered by pig hunters on Saturday night in bushland off Esk-Hampton Road at Redbank Creek.
Singh was arrested on Sunday morning and charged with Ms. Armstrong's murder. He appeared in Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Monday and was remanded in custody. His lawyer told the court that Singh is distressed and asserts his innocence, stating the matter will be defended. Singh has also been charged with arson and breaching bail conditions.
Singh's wife claimed that she and Ms. Armstrong were aware of each other since 2023, when Singh began his relationship with Ms. Armstrong. According to the wife, Singh met Ms. Armstrong when she used his maxi taxi for her wheelchair-bound clients. A source, however, had previously told the Daily Mail that Ms. Armstrong was unaware Singh was married. The wife insisted that this was not the case and that she and Ms. Armstrong had several run-ins.
Singh's wife expressed fears that her family might be targeted in Toowoomba due to the allegations against her estranged husband. "We can't sleep properly," she said, adding that Singh "was a good man" before he began seeing Ms. Armstrong.
The infant son shared by Singh and Ms. Armstrong is now being cared for by Ms. Armstrong's sister, Faith Isaacs, and her partner Michael Isaacs. The Isaacs also recently lost their own infant daughter. Ms. Isaacs told 7News, "[Jana is] taking care of my daughter and I'm now taking care of her son and I'll raise him just the way she would have wanted me to."
Singh reportedly left Black and White Cabs at the start of the year following complaints from female passengers. A company manager confirmed Singh was not a current driver for their Toowoomba branch. Singh frequently transported wheelchair users, with support workers often sitting in the front passenger seat, which is how he met Ms. Armstrong.
Ms. Armstrong's family, including her sisters Hannah and Lara Sweedman, have launched a GoFundMe to support the Isaacs family and contribute to funeral expenses. As of Monday afternoon, over $53,000 of a $70,000 target had been raised.
Singh is scheduled to return to court on October 1.