Panel of Jurors in Prominent Down Under Murder Trial Visits Shoreline At Which Victim Was Found
Members of the jury involved in a widely publicized Queensland murder trial have traveled to the isolated shore where the victim was located.
Toyah Cordingley was multiple times stabbed with a bladed weapon and buried in a sandy grave with minimal hope of surviving, the court has been told.
Her body were discovered by a family member the following day on Wangetti Beach – a section of coastline between the popular destinations of Cairns and Port Douglas.
The accused, 41, denies killing Ms Cordingley on a Sunday afternoon in October 2018 in Far North Queensland.
Court Inspection to Beach
The panel of 12 individuals plus three back-up jurors attended the location along with the judge and legal counsel on Monday morning local time.
In a acknowledgment of the tropical conditions and sweltering heat, the judge opted for a T-shirt, sport shorts and sneakers rather than traditional court attire.
Both the prosecuting and defense attorneys selected polo shirts, shorts and baseball caps.
Location Particulars
The court members were led around 1.2km along the beach to observe where Ms Cordingley's remains were uncovered.
Earlier, as they arrived by bus, several markers indicated where the victim's car had been parked.
The trip was intended to help the panel become familiar with important sites in the trial and no testimony was presented.
Background of the Case
Last week, the Cairns Supreme Court was informed that the following day Ms Cordingley's remains were discovered, Mr Singh departed from Australia to India – leaving behind his spouse, three children and parents.
He was out of contact until he was apprehended years after, the state said.
State Case
It is alleged that Mr Singh, who was employed in healthcare in the community of Innisfail, south of Cairns, had a confrontation with Ms Cordingley.
The pharmacy worker was discovered wearing a bikini, with all her other clothes and belongings absent.
Those objects were removed by the killer to conceal evidence, prosecutors contend.
Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a walk, was found secured to a tree hidden in shrubland about 30 metres from the burial site.
No murder weapon was found, and no eyewitnesses have been identified.
But the prosecution says the crown's case – though circumstantial – was made up of findings that pointed to Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."
This will include testimony that DNA obtained from a object at the scene was extremely more probable to have originated from Mr Singh than a random member of the population.
The jury has previously been told evidence suggesting that Ms Cordingley's phone departed the beach after the killing – and that its movements corresponded with those of a blue Alfa Romeo owned by the defendant.
Mr Singh's quick exit from Australia also pointed to his guilt, the prosecution has argued.
Defense Stance
"As the police were finding Toyah's remains, he was arranging... a hurriedly arranged single journey back to India," the prosecutor said previously as he began arguments.
The defense is has not 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 "incorrect location at the unfortunate moment."
He also foreshadowed evidence to come subsequently that, after his arrest, Mr Singh informed an undercover officer he had seen assailants assault Ms Cordingley and then had run away in terror – 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 investigation.
Additional Evidence
Ms Cordingley's partner, Marco Heidenreich, whom police excluded as a possible suspect, was one who gave evidence previously.
The trial was informed he was an initial person of interest – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's father about whether he was implicated in his partner's disappearance, prior to her remains were discovered.
Images depicting Mr Heidenreich on a walk with a friend on the date Ms Cordingley went missing have been shown to the court, with an specialist saying he was certain the pictures were genuine and had not been altered in any way.
The trial will return to the more conventional setting of the courthouse on the next day.
