Panel of Jurors in Prominent Australian Murder Trial Tours Beach At Which Victim Was Found
Members of the jury overseeing a widely publicized Queensland homicide case have traveled to the remote beach where the young woman was located.
Toyah Cordingley was repeatedly attacked with a bladed weapon and buried in a shallow resting place with little or no chance of survival, the jury has heard.
The remains were discovered by a family member the next day on Wangetti Beach – a section of coastline nestled between the popular destinations of Cairns and Port Douglas.
The accused, 41, denies killing Ms Cordingley on a weekend in October 2018 in Far North Queensland.
Jury Visit to Crime Scene
The panel of 10 men and two women plus three alternates visited the location along with the judge and barristers on Monday morning in Queensland.
In a acknowledgment of the hot climate and sweltering heat, Justice Lincoln Crowley opted for a casual top, athletic wear and trainers rather than traditional court attire.
Both the prosecuting and defense attorneys chose polo shirts, bottoms and baseball caps.
Scene Details
The court members were guided around 1.2km north up the sand to observe where Ms Cordingley's remains were discovered.
Earlier, as they traveled to the site, four markers indicated where the victim's car had been left.
The visit was intended to help the jurors become familiar with important sites in the trial and no official evidence was given.
Context of the Case
Last week, the Cairns Supreme Court was informed that the following day Ms Cordingley's remains were found, the accused departed from Australia to India – abandoning his spouse, three children and relatives.
He was out of contact until he was apprehended years after, the prosecution said.
State Case
It is alleged that Mr Singh, who was employed in healthcare in the town of Innisfail, near Cairns, had a confrontation with Ms Cordingley.
The victim was found wearing a bikini, with her attire and most of her possessions missing.
Those objects were taken by the assailant to conceal evidence, prosecutors contend.
Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a stroll, was located tied up to a post hidden in shrubland about 100 feet from the burial site.
No murder weapon was found, and no one have been identified.
But the state says the crown's case – though indirect – was made up of proof that indicated Mr Singh "and eliminated others."
This will involve evidence that DNA recovered from a stick at the location was extremely 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 mobile device departed the scene after the incident – and that its travel matched those of a blue Alfa Romeo belonging to the accused.
Mr Singh's sudden departure from Australia also pointed to his involvement, the state has argued.
Defense Stance
"As the police were finding Toyah's body, he was arranging... a rushed single journey back to India," Mr Crane said previously as he opened his case.
The defence is yet to provided testimony, but in his initial statement, the defense attorney the lawyer described his defendant as a "calm" and "compassionate" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the unfortunate moment."
He also hinted at testimony to come subsequently that, after his apprehension, 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."
The defense attorney has also said he will give evidence about other people "identified and unidentified" who should come under investigation.
Additional Testimony
Ms Cordingley's partner, the witness, whom authorities excluded as a possible suspect, was among those who testified previously.
The trial heard he was an initial police suspect – and that he had been interrogated from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was implicated in his girlfriend's disappearance, prior to her body were found.
Images showing the witness on a hike with a friend on the day Ms Cordingley went missing have been shown to the court, with an expert saying he was confident the photos were authentic and had not been altered in any manner.
The case will resume to the more conventional setting of the courthouse on the next day.