Jury in High-Profile Australian Murder Case Visits Shoreline Where Victim Was Found

Members of the jury involved in a high-profile Australian homicide case have been taken to the remote beach where the young woman was discovered.

Toyah Cordingley was multiple times attacked with a sharp object and placed in a sandy resting place with minimal hope of surviving, the jury has heard.

Her body were discovered by her father the next day on Wangetti Beach – a section of coastline between the popular destinations of Cairns and Port Douglas.

The accused, 41, denies murdering Ms Cordingley on a Sunday afternoon in October 2018 in Far North Queensland.

Court Visit to Crime Scene

The panel of 12 individuals plus several alternates visited the beach along with the presiding officer and barristers on Monday morning in Queensland.

In a acknowledgment of the hot climate and sweltering heat, Justice Lincoln Crowley wore a casual top, sport shorts and sneakers rather than a wig and robes.

Both the prosecuting and defense attorneys selected casual shirts, bottoms and headwear.

Location Details

The jurors were guided around three-quarters of a mile along the beach to observe where Ms Cordingley's remains were uncovered.

Upon arrival, as they traveled to the site, four red and white cones showed where the vehicle had been parked.

The visit was intended to help the jurors become familiar with key locations in the trial and no testimony was given.

Background of the Case

Last week, the court heard that the following day Ms Cordingley's remains were found, Mr Singh flew from Australia to India – abandoning his wife, family and relatives.

He was out of contact until he was apprehended four years later, the prosecution said.

State Case

It is claimed that Mr Singh, who was working as a nurse in the town of Innisfail, near Cairns, had a confrontation with Ms Cordingley.

The victim was discovered wearing a swimwear, with her attire and belongings absent.

Those items were taken by the assailant to avoid detection, prosecutors allege.

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

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

But the state says the evidence – though indirect – was comprised findings that pointed to Mr Singh "and eliminated others."

This will include evidence that genetic material obtained from a object at the location was 3.8 billion times more probable to have come from Mr Singh than a unrelated individual of the public.

The court has already heard evidence suggesting that Ms Cordingley's phone departed the beach after the killing – and that its travel matched those of a blue Alfa Romeo belonging to the defendant.

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

Defense Stance

"As the police were discovering Toyah's body, he was organizing... a rushed one way trip back to India," Mr Crane said last week as he opened his case.

The defense is has not provided testimony, but in his initial statement, the defense attorney the lawyer portrayed his client as a "placid" and "caring" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the wrong time."

He also hinted at testimony to come later in the trial that, after his arrest, Mr Singh informed an undercover officer he had witnessed assailants attack Ms Cordingley and then had run away in terror – 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.

Additional Testimony

Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, Marco Heidenreich, whom authorities excluded as a possible suspect, was one who gave evidence last week.

The trial heard he was an immediate person of interest – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was involved in his girlfriend's disappearance, even before her remains were found.

Images showing the witness on a hike with a companion on the day Ms Cordingley disappeared have been presented to the jury, with an expert saying he was confident the photos were authentic and had not been doctored in any manner.

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