Jury in High-Profile Australian Murder Case Tours Beach Where Deceased Was Found
Members of the jury involved in a high-profile Queensland murder trial have been taken to the remote shore where the young woman was located.
Toyah Cordingley was repeatedly stabbed with a sharp object and placed in a sandy resting place with minimal chance of survival, the jury has been told.
Her body were discovered by a family member the next 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 murdering Ms Cordingley on a weekend in October 2018 in Far North Queensland.
Jury Visit to Beach
The jury of 12 individuals plus three back-up jurors visited the beach along with the judge and barristers on the start of the week local time.
In a acknowledgment of the hot climate and sweltering heat, the judge opted for a casual top, sport shorts and sneakers rather than a wig and robes.
Both the lead prosecution and defense attorneys chose casual shirts, shorts and headwear.
Location Details
The jurors were guided around three-quarters of a mile north up the sand to observe where Ms Cordingley's remains were uncovered.
Earlier, as they traveled to the site, several markers indicated where the vehicle had been parked.
The trip was designed to help the jurors become familiar with important sites in the case and no testimony was presented.
Background of the Trial
Last week, the Cairns Supreme Court was informed that the day after Ms Cordingley's remains were discovered, Mr Singh departed from Australia to India – abandoning his spouse, three children and relatives.
He was not heard from until he was apprehended years after, the state said.
State Case
It is claimed that Mr Singh, who was working as a nurse in the town of Innisfail, south of Cairns, had a altercation with Ms Cordingley.
The victim was found wearing a bikini, with her attire and belongings missing.
Those items were taken by the assailant to conceal evidence, prosecutors allege.
Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had brought along for a stroll, was found secured to a post hidden in bushland about 100 feet from the burial site.
The weapon was found, and no one have been identified.
But the state says the crown's case – though indirect – was comprised findings that indicated Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."
This will include evidence that DNA obtained from a stick at the location was 3.8 billion times more probable to have come from Mr Singh than a random member of the population.
The jury has previously been told testimony indicating that Ms Cordingley's mobile device departed the scene after the killing – and that its movements corresponded with those of a blue Alfa Romeo belonging to the accused.
Mr Singh's quick exit from Australia also suggested his guilt, the prosecution has argued.
Defense Position
"As the police were finding Toyah's body, he was arranging... a rushed single journey back to India," the prosecutor said previously as he began arguments.
The defence is yet to provided testimony, but in his opening address, the defense attorney the lawyer described his defendant as a "calm" and "caring" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the unfortunate moment."
He also hinted at evidence to come later in the trial that, after his arrest, Mr Singh informed an undercover officer he had witnessed assailants assault Ms Cordingley and then had run away in fear – something he said was his "biggest mistake."
Mr McGuire has also said he will testify about individuals "both known and unknown" who should come under suspicion.
Further Evidence
Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, Marco Heidenreich, whom authorities quickly ruled out as a possible suspect, was one who testified last week.
The court heard he was an immediate police suspect – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's father about whether he was involved in his partner's vanishing, prior to her body were found.
Images depicting Mr Heidenreich on a walk with a friend on the day Ms Cordingley went missing have been presented to the jury, with an specialist saying he was certain the photos were authentic and had not been altered in any manner.
The case will return to the more conventional setting of the courthouse on Tuesday.
