Jury in Prominent Down Under Murder Trial Visits Beach Where Deceased Was Found

Wangetti Beach scene
The body of Toyah Cordingley were found on a secluded coastline in Far North Queensland in 2018.

Jurors involved in a widely publicized Australian murder trial have traveled to the remote shore where the young woman was discovered.

The 24-year-old victim was repeatedly stabbed with a bladed weapon and buried in a shallow grave with minimal chance of survival, the court has been told.

The remains were discovered by a family member the following day on Wangetti Beach – a section of shoreline 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 Far North Queensland.

Court Visit to Crime Scene

The panel of 10 men and two women plus several alternates attended the beach along with the judge and barristers on Monday morning local time.

In a nod to the tropical conditions and sweltering heat, Justice Lincoln Crowley wore a casual top, sport shorts and trainers rather than traditional court attire.

Both the lead prosecution and defence barristers chose polo shirts, shorts and baseball caps.

Scene Particulars

The jurors were guided around 1.2km north up the sand to observe where Ms Cordingley's body were uncovered.

Upon arrival, as they arrived by bus, several red and white cones showed where the vehicle had been left.

The trip was intended to help the panel become acquainted with key locations in the trial and no official evidence was given.

Context of the Trial

Last week, the court was informed that the day after Ms Cordingley's remains were discovered, Mr Singh flew from Australia to India – leaving behind his wife, three children and relatives.

He was not heard from until he was arrested four years later, the state said.

Court officials at the beach
The judge with legal representatives and other court officials at Wangetti Beach.

Prosecution Case

It is alleged that the defendant, who was employed in healthcare in the community of Innisfail, near Cairns, had a confrontation with Ms Cordingley.

The pharmacy worker was found wearing a bikini, with her attire and belongings missing.

Those items were taken by the assailant to avoid detection, the prosecution contend.

Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a walk, was located secured to a tree hidden in shrubland about 100 feet from the grave.

The weapon was ever recovered, and no eyewitnesses have been found.

But the state says the crown's case – though circumstantial – was comprised proof that indicated Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."

This will involve evidence that DNA recovered from a object at the location was 3.8 billion times more probable to have originated from Mr Singh than a unrelated individual of the population.

The court has previously been told evidence indicating that Ms Cordingley's mobile device departed the beach after the killing – and that its travel matched those of a vehicle owned by the accused.

Mr Singh's quick exit from Australia also suggested his guilt, the prosecution has claimed.

Defence Stance

"While authorities were finding Toyah's body, he was arranging... a hurriedly arranged single journey back to India," Mr Crane said previously as he opened his case.

The defense is has not provided testimony, but in his opening address, Mr Singh's barrister the lawyer portrayed his defendant as a "placid" 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 apprehension, Mr Singh informed an undercover officer he had seen assailants assault Ms Cordingley and then had fled in terror – something he said was his "gravest error."

Mr McGuire has also said he will testify about other people "both known and unknown" who should come under investigation.

Additional Testimony

Ms Cordingley's partner, Marco Heidenreich, whom police quickly ruled out as a possible suspect, was among those who gave evidence last week.

The trial was informed he was an immediate person of interest – and that he had been interrogated from Ms Cordingley's father about whether he was implicated in his partner's vanishing, even before her remains were discovered.

Images depicting the witness on a walk with a companion on the date Ms Cordingley went missing have been presented to the court, with an expert saying he was certain the photos were genuine and had not been doctored in any way.

The case will return to the standard environment of the courthouse on Tuesday.

Zachary Moore
Zachary Moore

A seasoned travel writer with a passion for uncovering hidden gems and sharing cultural insights from around the globe.