Jana Armstrong alleged murder case twist: Shattered wife of taxi driver accused of strangling the mother of his child breaks down

By KARLEIGH SMITH - SENIOR REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 15:57, 14 July 2026 | Updated: 15:57, 14 July 2026 The estranged wife of a taxi driver who allegedly strangled a young mother and threw her body from a clifftop has broken down in tears while speaking to the Daily Mail. The wife of Dharminder Singh, a Toowoomba cabbie accused of murdering 30-year-old Jana Armstrong, sobbed as she revealed her husband had left her for the younger woman about three years ago. Newly uncovered pictures of 48-year-old Singh - who shared a four-month-old son with the victim - show him as a family man devoted to his wife and children in the years before he met Ms Armstrong. He attended several family events alongside his kids and wife, whom the Daily Mail has agreed not to name over concerns for their safety. Police allege Singh strangled Ms Armstrong after they got into an argument, before dumping her body off the side of a steep embankment west of Brisbane. Ms Armstrong, a care worker, was last seen at a unit on Gordon Avenue in Newtown, a suburb of Toowoomba, south-east Queensland, on July 7. Her white Hyundai Kona was found on the corner of Jellicoe Street and Gordon Avenue about 6am on Wednesday. Following an intense search, her body was found by pig hunters in bushland off Esk-Hampton Road at Redbank Creek on Saturday night. Breastfeeding young mother Jana Armstrong was reported missing on Wednesday, July 8. Queensland Police allege she was killed by the father of her child, Dharminder Singh Her remains were found in bushland north of Toowoomba by pig hunters on Saturday night Singh's wife broke down in tears when approached by Daily Mail on Tuesday Singh was arrested for her murder on Sunday morning, and faced Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Monday, where he was remanded in custody. His estranged wife broke down as she spoke of the torment she and her children had endured, which she claimed began long before Ms Armstrong's murder. When approached by the Daily Mail, she tearfully confirmed she was married to a Dharminder Singh, and that he is the same Singh who has been charged with the murder of Ms Armstrong. She said her husband began seeing Ms Armstrong in 2023. He later left his family and moved in with Ms Armstrong, who gave birth to his child earlier this year.  A source within the town, who was a regular passenger in Singh's taxi and a longtime friend of the victim's family, told the Daily Mail on Monday that Ms Armstrong was not aware that the father of her infant son was married. However, Singh's devastated wife insisted on Tuesday that this was not the case. She said that she and the murder victim had known of each other since 2023, when Singh entered a relationship with Ms Armstrong after meeting her when the care worker used his maxi taxi for her wheelchair-bound clients. Toowoomba taxi driver Dharminder Singh has been charged with domestic violence murder Ms Armstrong was a doting mother, with friends saying she couldn't wait to become a parent  A social media account shows Singh was once a devoted family man Singh's wife said she and Ms Armstrong had several run-ins since she began seeing her husband. 'Before, when she's not in my life, my life is very very happy,' Singh's wife said. 'After that, my life is totally... everything changed. 'I am very sad for her [that she died].'  The couple shared two children, and she said the older one has been 'very good.. strong, but [they are] upset, too'. She said she fears people in Toowoomba would target her family over her estranged husband being accused of Ms Armstrong's murder. 'We can't sleep properly,' she said. She said Singh 'was a good man' before he took up with Ms Armstrong. Singh was arrested in an apartment in southern Toowoomba on Sunday morning  Ms Armstrong was reported missing, and her vehicle was found abandoned near her home Singh's wife said their life was very happy before he left her for the younger woman Police confirmed that when they attended the call-out over Jana's abandoned vehicle, Singh was there with their baby boy, Deshal. The infant is now being cared for by Ms Armstrong's sister Faith and her partner Michael Isaacs, who lost their own daughter, Lehara, soon after birth just weeks ago. The Daily Mail understands Singh had been working as a contractor for Black and White Cabs using his own vehicle, but left the company at the start of the year after complaints from female passengers. 'He was rude and abrupt,' said one regular client. Black and White Cabs manager Greg Webb told the Mail that Singh was not currently a driver for the company's Toowoomba arm, Garden City Cabs, and had not been for six months. 'He is associated with the taxi industry,' said Mr Webb. Singh frequently transported wheelchair users in his large vehicle, meaning the support workers of those clients would often travel in the front passenger seat. Friends said this is how he met Ms Armstrong - a support worker whose mother Robyn suffered from multiple sclerosis and used a wheelchair until her death in 2019. Singh and Ms Armstrong's son is now in the care of her sister, Faith Isaacs Ms Armstrong (left) and Ms Isaacs, whose parents died recently, were incredibly close 'He would get the majority of the wheelchair-bound clients and was never short of work,' said another Toowoomba local with knowledge of the situation. 'Most of us had his personal mobile number to call when a client needed transportation. 'Many workers sit in the front seat of the taxi, which is how Jana came to know him. 'He would give all the support workers a bottle of wine at Christmas and sign it, "From the Singh family".' Ms Armstrong had told friends she initially believed Singh was 'a lovely person'. 'She said, "Oh no, he is lovely to me",' her friend said. They described Ms Armstrong as an 'incredibly beautiful' woman who would 'give you the shirt off her back'. The friend added: 'I don't even know what she saw in him.' Ms Isaacs with her husband Michael and their two children - their daughter has since died Singh faced Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Monday morning, and his lawyer told the court his client was 'distressed' and 'asserts his innocence'. 'This matter will be defended,' his lawyer Ramli Salehkon said. 'My client has rights. I ask that people respect my client's family and his loved ones in this difficult time.' Singh has also been charged with one count of arson with police alleging he 'wilfully and unlawfully set fire to a motor vehicle, namely a motor car' on July 8 at Toowoomba, according to court documents. He also faces a third charge of breaching a condition of bail between June 27 and July 9. Ms Armstrong's family - including Ms Isaacs clutching the four-month-old, and cousins Hannah and Lara Sweedman - were present at the court. The Sweedman sisters have launched a GoFundMe in Ms Armstrong's honour, with money raised going towards supporting Mr and Ms Isaacs, who are now Deshal's full-time guardians, along with contributing to funeral expenses. On Monday afternoon, $53,000 of a $70,000 target had been raised. Ms Armstrong was described as 'a beautiful person' who'd 'give you the shirt off her back' 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.' On Sunday, she said: 'Losing my beautiful sister this way is something I will never be able to understand or put into words. 'My beautiful Jana deserved so much more. She was so deeply loved... I promise you, Jana, your beautiful baby boy will always know exactly who his mummy was, how deeply you loved him and just how incredibly special you were.' Singh was remanded in custody to return to court on October 1. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.