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The lawyer representing the man accused of murdering Toowoomba woman Jana Armstrong tells a court he is 'puzzled' by a domestic violence charge against his client.
The 48-year-old's case was mentioned today in the Toowoomba Magistrates Court, where his lawyer questioned a domestic violence charge against him. The lawyer representing the man accused of murdering Toowoomba woman Jana Armstrong has told a court he is "puzzled" by the domestic violence element of the charges against his client.
Ms Armstrong's former partner, Dharminder Singh, was charged with one count of murder, domestic violence offence and a count of arson in relation to Ms Armstrong's car after police found her body in bushland outside Toowoomba on July 12. The 48-year-old had his case briefly mentioned in Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Thursday for the second time since his arrest, where his lawyer, Ramli Salehkon, told the court he was "puzzled" by the domestic violence aspect of the charge against Mr Singh.
"I am quite puzzled by the way the charge is framed, that there is an element of domestic violence in this charge," Mr Salehkon said. "As far as I understand, there is no domestic violence committed by Mr Singh on the late Ms Jana Armstrong. In fact, there has been domestic violence from her against him.
"Magistrate Kyna Morice interrupted the line of questioning. "Mr Salehkon, I am going to stop you here. I won't hear this," Magistrate Morice said, adding that it was not an appropriate forum. Mr Salehkon continued, telling the court: "There was an incident the police were aware that happened last year and that should be included in the brief of evidence.
" Magistrate Morice said this information might well be in the brief of evidence, which had not yet been fully served. Jana Armstrong's brother Dean Armstrong and Michael and Faith Isaacs outside court. Magistrate Morice adjourned the case to November 12 to allow more time for the brief of evidence to be completed and for forensic material to be finalised.
Ms Armstrong's family, including her sister Faith Isaacs and Faith's husband Michael, were in court, along with her brother Dean Armstrong, uncle, aunt and cousin and family friends.
"It is important for us to come to court because we want to show how much support we have for Jana and her son," Ms Isaacs said. She said the family had been struggling since Ms Armstrong's death and she was caring for her sister's six-month-old baby boy. Faith Isaacs and Jana Armstrong were extremely close. Ms Isaacs said she was "disgusted" by the defence questioning of the domestic violence charge in court.
Jana Armstrong was last seen alive at her home in Newtown on the afternoon of July 7, after having brunch with her sister earlier that day. At 6am on July 8 Ms Armstrong's car was found abandoned in the middle of the street 500 metres from her home, but she was nowhere to be found.
Her body was discovered by two pig hunters in steep bushland off Esk Hampton Road at Redbank Creek, about 60 kilometres from her home, at 10:39pm on July 12.
Murder Domestic Violence Dharminder Singh
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