Jury in Prominent Down Under Murder Case Tours Beach At Which Deceased Was Found

Wangetti Beach scene
The remains of Toyah Cordingley was discovered on a secluded coastline in Far North Queensland back in 2018.

Members of the jury overseeing a widely publicized Queensland homicide case have traveled to the isolated beach where the young woman was located.

Toyah Cordingley was multiple times stabbed with a bladed weapon and buried in a sandy resting place with minimal chance of survival, the jury has been told.

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

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

Court Inspection to Beach

The panel of 10 men and two women plus several back-up jurors attended the beach along with the judge and legal counsel on the start of the week in Queensland.

In a acknowledgment of the tropical conditions and temperatures above 30C, Justice Lincoln Crowley wore a casual top, athletic wear and sneakers rather than traditional court attire.

Both the lead prosecution and defense attorneys selected polo shirts, bottoms and headwear.

Location Details

The court members were led around 1.2km north up the sand to see where Ms Cordingley's body were discovered.

Upon arrival, as they arrived by bus, several markers indicated where the victim's car had been parked.

The visit was designed to help the panel become acquainted with key locations in the case and no testimony was presented.

Context of the Trial

Last week, the Cairns Supreme Court was informed that the day after Ms Cordingley's remains were found, Mr Singh flew from Australia to India – leaving behind his wife, family and relatives.

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

Court officials at the beach
Justice Lincoln Crowley with barristers and other court officials at Wangetti Beach.

State Argument

It is alleged that Mr Singh, who was employed in healthcare in the town of Innisfail, near Cairns, had a altercation with Ms Cordingley.

The victim was discovered wearing a bikini, with her attire and belongings missing.

Those objects were removed by the assailant to conceal evidence, the prosecution allege.

Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a walk, was found secured to a tree concealed in shrubland about 30 metres from the grave.

No murder weapon was ever recovered, and no eyewitnesses have been identified.

But the prosecution says the evidence – though indirect – was made up of findings that pointed to Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."

This will involve testimony that DNA obtained from a stick at the scene was 3.8 billion times more likely to have come from Mr Singh than a unrelated individual of the public.

The court has already heard testimony suggesting that Ms Cordingley's phone left the beach after the killing – and that its movements corresponded with those of a blue Alfa Romeo owned by the accused.

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

Defence Position

"While authorities were finding Toyah's remains, he was organizing... a hurriedly arranged one way trip back to India," Mr Crane said previously as he began arguments.

The defence is yet to provided testimony, but in his initial statement, Mr Singh's barrister the lawyer described his client as a "calm" and "compassionate" 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 seen two masked men 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 "identified and unidentified" who should come under suspicion.

Additional Testimony

Ms Cordingley's partner, Marco Heidenreich, whom authorities excluded as a possible suspect, was one who testified previously.

The court was informed he was an immediate person of interest – 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.

Photographs showing Mr Heidenreich on a hike with a companion on the date Ms Cordingley disappeared have been presented to the court, with an expert saying he was certain the photos were authentic and had not been altered in any manner.

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

Brett Solis
Brett Solis

A passionate gaming enthusiast with years of experience in online casinos and slot game analysis.