Panel of Jurors in Prominent Down Under Murder Case Tours Beach At Which Deceased Was Discovered
Jurors involved in a high-profile Queensland murder trial have traveled to the isolated shore where the victim was discovered.
The 24-year-old victim was repeatedly attacked with a bladed weapon and placed in a shallow grave with minimal hope of surviving, the jury has been told.
Her body were discovered by a family member the next 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 murdering Ms Cordingley on a Sunday afternoon in October 2018 in northern Australia.
Court Inspection to Beach
The jury of 10 men and two women plus several back-up jurors visited the beach along with the presiding officer and legal counsel on the start of the week local time.
In a acknowledgment of the hot climate and sweltering heat, the judge wore a T-shirt, sport shorts and trainers rather than traditional court attire.
Both the lead prosecution and defense attorneys chose polo shirts, shorts and baseball caps.
Location Particulars
The court members were guided around 1.2km along the beach to see where Ms Cordingley's remains were discovered.
Upon arrival, as they arrived by bus, four red and white cones indicated where the victim's car had been parked.
The trip was designed to help the jurors become familiar with important sites in the case and no official evidence was presented.
Context of the Case
Previously, the court was informed that the following day Ms Cordingley's remains were found, Mr Singh flew from Australia to India – leaving behind his wife, three children and parents.
He was out of contact until he was apprehended four years later, the state said.
Prosecution Case
It is alleged that Mr Singh, who was working as a nurse in the town of Innisfail, near Cairns, had a altercation with Ms Cordingley.
The victim was discovered wearing a swimwear, with her attire and most of her possessions missing.
Those items were removed by the killer to conceal evidence, the prosecution allege.
Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had brought along for a walk, was located tied up to a tree concealed in shrubland about 30 metres from the grave.
No murder weapon was ever recovered, and no one have been identified.
But the state says the evidence – though circumstantial – was comprised findings that indicated Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."
This will involve evidence that DNA recovered from a object at the scene was 3.8 billion times more probable to have originated from Mr Singh than a unrelated individual of the public.
The jury has already heard testimony indicating that Ms Cordingley's phone left the beach after the killing – and that its travel matched those of a vehicle belonging to the defendant.
Mr Singh's sudden departure from Australia also suggested his guilt, the state has claimed.
Defence Stance
"While authorities were finding Toyah's remains, he was organizing... a hurriedly arranged one way trip back to India," Mr Crane said previously as he opened his case.
The defense is has not present any evidence, but in his initial statement, Mr Singh's barrister the lawyer described his defendant as a "placid" and "compassionate" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the wrong time."
He also hinted at evidence to come later in the trial that, after his arrest, Mr Singh told an undercover officer he had witnessed two masked men assault Ms Cordingley and then had run away in fear – something he said was his "biggest mistake."
The defense attorney has also said he will give evidence about other people "identified and unidentified" who should come under suspicion.
Additional Evidence
Ms Cordingley's partner, Marco Heidenreich, whom authorities excluded as a possible suspect, was among those who testified previously.
The trial heard he was an immediate person of interest – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's father about whether he was involved in his girlfriend's disappearance, prior to her remains were discovered.
Images depicting the witness on a walk with a friend on the day Ms Cordingley disappeared have been shown to the court, with an specialist saying he was confident the photos were genuine and had not been doctored in any manner.
The case will resume to the standard environment of the courtroom on the next day.