Jury in High-Profile Down Under Homicide Trial Tours Shoreline At Which Deceased Was Discovered
Members of the jury involved in a high-profile Australian murder trial have traveled to the isolated shore where the young woman was discovered.
The 24-year-old victim was multiple times attacked with a sharp object and buried in a sandy grave with minimal chance of survival, the jury has heard.
Her body were found by her father the following day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch of coastline nestled 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.
Court Visit to Crime Scene
The panel of 10 men and two women plus several alternates visited the beach along with the judge and barristers on the start of the week local time.
In a acknowledgment of the hot climate and sweltering heat, the judge wore a casual top, sport shorts and trainers rather than a wig and robes.
Both the prosecuting and defence barristers selected polo shirts, shorts and headwear.
Location Details
The jurors were led around three-quarters of a mile along the beach to see where Ms Cordingley's body were uncovered.
Earlier, as they arrived by bus, four red and white cones showed where the vehicle had been left.
The trip was designed to help the panel become acquainted with key locations in the case and no official evidence was given.
Context of the Case
Previously, the Cairns Supreme Court heard that the following day Ms Cordingley's remains were found, the accused departed from Australia to India – leaving behind his spouse, three children and relatives.
He was not heard from until he was apprehended four years later, the state said.
State Argument
It is alleged that Mr Singh, who was employed in healthcare in the town of Innisfail, south of Cairns, had a altercation with Ms Cordingley.
The victim was discovered wearing a bikini, with her attire and most of her possessions absent.
Those objects were taken by the assailant to conceal evidence, prosecutors allege.
Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had brought along for a walk, was found tied up to a tree hidden in bushland about 30 metres from the grave.
The weapon was ever recovered, and no one have been identified.
But the state says the crown's case – though circumstantial – was comprised proof that indicated Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."
This will include testimony 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 already heard evidence indicating that Ms Cordingley's mobile device departed the scene after the incident – and that its travel matched those of a vehicle owned by the defendant.
Mr Singh's quick exit from Australia also suggested his involvement, the prosecution has claimed.
Defense Stance
"As the police were finding Toyah's remains, he was organizing... a hurriedly arranged one way trip back to India," the prosecutor said last week as he began arguments.
The defence is has not present any evidence, but in his opening address, Mr Singh's barrister the lawyer portrayed his defendant as a "calm" and "caring" man, who was in the "wrong place at the wrong time."
He also hinted at testimony to come subsequently that, after his arrest, Mr Singh told an undercover officer he had witnessed assailants assault Ms Cordingley and then had fled in fear – something he said was his "biggest mistake."
Mr McGuire has also said he will give evidence about other people "both known and unknown" who should come under suspicion.
Further Evidence
Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, Marco Heidenreich, whom authorities excluded as a possible suspect, was one who gave evidence last week.
The court heard he was an initial person of interest – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's father about whether he was implicated in his girlfriend's disappearance, prior to her body were discovered.
Photographs depicting Mr Heidenreich on a walk with a companion 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 doctored in any way.
The trial will return to the standard environment of the courtroom on the next day.
