Jury in High-Profile Down Under Homicide Case Visits Beach Where Victim Was Found

Wangetti Beach scene
The remains of Toyah Cordingley were found on a remote beach in northern Queensland back in 2018.

Jurors involved in a high-profile Australian murder trial have been taken to the isolated beach where the young woman was discovered.

The 24-year-old victim was repeatedly stabbed with a bladed weapon and placed in a shallow grave with little or no hope of surviving, the jury has been told.

Her body were discovered by a family member the following day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch of coastline between the tourist centres of Cairns and Port Douglas.

The accused, 41, has pleaded not guilty to killing Ms Cordingley on a Sunday afternoon in October 2018 in Far North Queensland.

Jury Inspection to Crime Scene

The panel of 12 individuals plus three alternates attended the beach along with the judge and barristers on Monday morning local time.

In a acknowledgment of the tropical conditions and temperatures above 30C, the judge wore a T-shirt, athletic wear and sneakers rather than traditional court attire.

Both the prosecuting and defense attorneys chose casual shirts, shorts and headwear.

Scene Particulars

The jurors were led around 1.2km along the beach to see where Ms Cordingley's remains were uncovered.

Upon arrival, as they traveled to the site, several markers showed where the victim's car had been left.

The trip was intended to help the panel become familiar with important sites in the case and no testimony was presented.

Context of the Case

Last week, the Cairns Supreme Court was informed that the following day Ms Cordingley's remains were found, Mr Singh departed from Australia to India – abandoning his spouse, 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 personnel at Wangetti Beach.

Prosecution Argument

It is alleged that the defendant, who was working as a nurse in the town of Innisfail, south of Cairns, had a altercation with Ms Cordingley.

The victim was discovered wearing a bikini, with all her other clothes and belongings missing.

Those objects were removed by the killer to conceal evidence, the prosecution contend.

Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a stroll, was located secured to a tree hidden in shrubland about 30 metres from the grave.

The weapon was found, and no eyewitnesses have been identified.

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

This will include evidence that genetic material recovered from a stick at the location was 3.8 billion times more likely to have originated from Mr Singh than a unrelated individual of the public.

The jury has previously been told evidence suggesting that Ms Cordingley's phone departed the scene after the incident – and that its travel corresponded with those of a blue Alfa Romeo belonging to the accused.

Mr Singh's quick exit from Australia also pointed to his involvement, the state has argued.

Defence Stance

"While authorities were finding Toyah's body, he was organizing... a rushed single journey back to India," Mr Crane said previously as he began arguments.

The defense is yet to present any evidence, but in his opening address, Mr Singh's barrister Greg McGuire portrayed his defendant as a "placid" and "compassionate" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the unfortunate moment."

He also hinted at evidence to come subsequently that, after his arrest, Mr Singh told an undercover officer he had witnessed assailants attack 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 investigation.

Additional Evidence

Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, the witness, whom police quickly ruled out as a possible suspect, was among those who testified last week.

The court heard he was an initial police suspect – and that he had been interrogated from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was involved in his partner's disappearance, prior to her body were discovered.

Images depicting the witness on a hike with a friend on the date Ms Cordingley disappeared have been shown to the jury, with an specialist saying he was confident the photos were authentic and had not been altered in any way.

The trial will resume to the standard environment of the courtroom on Tuesday.

Manuel Hernandez
Manuel Hernandez

A seasoned sports analyst with over a decade of experience in betting strategies and statistical modeling.