Panel of Jurors in High-Profile Down Under Murder Case Tours Beach Where Deceased Was Discovered
Jurors involved in a widely publicized Queensland homicide case have been taken to the remote shore where the victim was discovered.
The 24-year-old victim was multiple times attacked with a sharp object and buried in a shallow grave with little or no hope of surviving, the jury has heard.
The remains were discovered by a family member the following day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch of coastline nestled between the popular destinations of Cairns and Port Douglas.
The accused, 41, has pleaded not guilty to killing Ms Cordingley on a weekend in October 2018 in Far North Queensland.
Jury Inspection to Beach
The panel of 10 men and two women plus several back-up jurors attended the beach along with the presiding officer and barristers on the start of the week in Queensland.
In a acknowledgment of the tropical conditions and sweltering heat, the judge wore a casual top, sport shorts and sneakers rather than traditional court attire.
Both the prosecuting and defence barristers chose polo shirts, shorts and baseball caps.
Location Details
The court members were led around three-quarters of a mile north up the sand to see where Ms Cordingley's remains were discovered.
Earlier, as they arrived by bus, four red and white cones showed where the victim's car had been parked.
The trip was intended to help the jurors become familiar with key locations in the trial and no testimony was presented.
Context of the Case
Previously, the court was informed that the day after Ms Cordingley's remains were found, the accused departed from Australia to India – abandoning his wife, family and relatives.
He was out of contact until he was apprehended four years later, the state said.
State Case
It is alleged that Mr Singh, who was working as a nurse in the community of Innisfail, near Cairns, had a confrontation with Ms Cordingley.
The pharmacy worker was discovered wearing a swimwear, with her attire and most of her possessions absent.
Those objects were taken by the assailant to conceal evidence, prosecutors allege.
Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had brought along for a walk, was located secured to a post hidden in shrubland about 100 feet from the grave.
No murder weapon was found, and no one have been identified.
But the prosecution says the crown's case – though indirect – was comprised findings that pointed to Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."
This will involve testimony that genetic material obtained from a object at the scene was extremely more likely to have originated from Mr Singh than a unrelated individual of the population.
The jury has already heard testimony indicating that Ms Cordingley's phone departed the scene after the incident – and that its travel matched those of a vehicle owned by the accused.
Mr Singh's sudden departure from Australia also pointed to his guilt, the state has claimed.
Defence Stance
"As the police were discovering Toyah's remains, he was arranging... a rushed one way trip back to India," Mr Crane said last week as he opened his case.
The defence is yet to provided testimony, but in his initial statement, Mr Singh's barrister Greg McGuire portrayed his client as a "placid" and "caring" man, who was in the "wrong place at the wrong time."
He also foreshadowed testimony to come later in the trial that, after his apprehension, Mr Singh informed an plainclothes agent he had seen assailants assault Ms Cordingley and then had fled in terror – something he said was his "gravest error."
The defense attorney has also said he will give evidence about other people "both known and unknown" who should come under suspicion.
Additional Testimony
Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, Marco Heidenreich, whom authorities excluded as a possible suspect, was one who testified last week.
The court was informed he was an initial police suspect – and that he had been interrogated from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was involved in his girlfriend's disappearance, even before her body were discovered.
Images depicting the witness on a hike with a companion on the day Ms Cordingley disappeared have been presented to the court, with an specialist saying he was certain the pictures were authentic and had not been doctored in any manner.
The trial will return to the more conventional setting of the courthouse on Tuesday.