Jury in High-Profile Australian Murder Trial Visits Shoreline Where Deceased Was Found
Jurors involved in a high-profile Queensland murder trial have traveled to the isolated beach where the victim was discovered.
Toyah Cordingley was multiple times attacked with a bladed weapon and buried in a shallow grave with little or no chance of survival, the court has been told.
Her body were discovered by a family member the following day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch of shoreline 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 northern Australia.
Court Visit to Crime Scene
The jury of 12 individuals plus several alternates attended the location along with the presiding officer and legal counsel on the start of the week in Queensland.
In a nod to the hot climate and temperatures above 30C, the judge opted for a casual top, sport shorts and sneakers rather than traditional court attire.
Both the prosecuting and defence barristers chose casual shirts, bottoms 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.
Upon arrival, as they traveled to the site, several markers showed where the vehicle had been parked.
The trip was designed to help the panel become acquainted with important sites in the trial and no testimony was presented.
Context of the Case
Previously, the Cairns Supreme Court heard that the day after Ms Cordingley's remains were discovered, the accused flew from Australia to India – abandoning his spouse, three children and parents.
He was out of contact until he was arrested years after, the state said.
Prosecution Case
It is alleged that the defendant, who was working as a nurse in the town of Innisfail, near Cairns, had a altercation with Ms Cordingley.
The victim was found wearing a bikini, with her attire and most of her possessions absent.
Those objects were removed by the killer to conceal evidence, the prosecution contend.
Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a stroll, was located tied up to a tree concealed in shrubland about 100 feet from the burial site.
No murder weapon was ever recovered, and no eyewitnesses have been found.
But the prosecution says the evidence – though indirect – was comprised findings that pointed to Mr Singh "and eliminated others."
This will involve evidence that DNA recovered from a object at the location was extremely more probable to have originated from Mr Singh than a unrelated individual of the public.
The court has previously been told evidence suggesting that Ms Cordingley's mobile device left the beach after the incident – and that its travel corresponded with those of a blue Alfa Romeo belonging to the defendant.
Mr Singh's quick exit from Australia also pointed to his involvement, the prosecution has claimed.
Defense Position
"While authorities were discovering Toyah's remains, he was organizing... a rushed single journey back to India," Mr Crane said last week as he began arguments.
The defense is yet to present any evidence, but in his initial statement, Mr Singh's barrister the lawyer portrayed his defendant as a "calm" and "compassionate" man, who was in the "wrong place at the wrong time."
He also foreshadowed evidence to come later in the trial that, after his arrest, Mr Singh told an undercover officer he had witnessed assailants assault Ms Cordingley and then had fled in fear – something he said was his "biggest mistake."
Mr McGuire has also said he will give evidence about individuals "both known and unknown" who should come under investigation.
Additional Evidence
Ms Cordingley's partner, Marco Heidenreich, whom authorities quickly ruled out as a person of interest, was among those who testified last week.
The court heard he was an initial police suspect – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's father about whether he was implicated in his girlfriend's vanishing, prior to her remains were discovered.
Images showing Mr Heidenreich on a walk with a companion on the day Ms Cordingley disappeared have been presented to the jury, with an specialist saying he was certain the photos were authentic and had not been altered in any way.
The trial will return to the standard environment of the courthouse on Tuesday.