Panel of Jurors in Prominent Down Under Homicide Case Tours Shoreline At Which Victim Was Discovered

Wangetti Beach scene
The body of Toyah Cordingley was discovered on a secluded coastline in northern Queensland back in 2018.

Jurors involved in a widely publicized Queensland homicide case have traveled to the isolated beach where the young woman was located.

Toyah Cordingley was repeatedly stabbed with a sharp object and buried in a shallow resting place with little or no hope of surviving, the court has heard.

Her body were found by her father 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 murdering Ms Cordingley on a weekend in October 2018 in Far North Queensland.

Jury Visit to Beach

The jury of 10 men and two women plus three alternates visited the location along with the judge and barristers on the start of the week in Queensland.

In a acknowledgment of the tropical conditions and temperatures above 30C, the judge opted for a casual top, sport shorts and sneakers rather than a wig and robes.

Both the prosecuting and defence barristers chose polo shirts, bottoms and baseball caps.

Location Particulars

The jurors were guided around 1.2km north up the sand to observe where Ms Cordingley's remains were discovered.

Upon arrival, as they arrived by bus, four red and white cones showed where the vehicle had been parked.

The visit was designed to help the panel become familiar with important sites in the trial and no official evidence was presented.

Context of the Case

Previously, the Cairns Supreme Court was informed that the following day Ms Cordingley's body were found, Mr Singh flew from Australia to India – leaving behind his spouse, family and parents.

He was not heard from until he was apprehended four years later, the state said.

Court officials at the beach
The judge with barristers and other court officials at Wangetti Beach.

State Argument

It is claimed that the defendant, 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 bikini, with all her other clothes and belongings absent.

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

Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had brought along for a walk, was located secured to a tree hidden in bushland about 30 metres from the burial site.

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

But the state says the crown's case – though indirect – was comprised proof that pointed to Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."

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

The court has previously been told testimony indicating that Ms Cordingley's phone left the scene after the incident – and that its movements matched those of a vehicle owned by the accused.

Mr Singh's sudden departure from Australia also suggested his involvement, the prosecution has claimed.

Defence Stance

"While authorities were discovering Toyah's remains, he was arranging... a hurriedly arranged single journey back to India," Mr Crane said previously as he began arguments.

The defence is has not present any evidence, but in his opening address, Mr Singh's barrister the lawyer described his client as a "calm" and "compassionate" man, who was in the "wrong place at the wrong time."

He also foreshadowed evidence to come later in the trial that, after his apprehension, Mr Singh told an plainclothes agent he had seen assailants attack Ms Cordingley and then had fled in terror – something he said was his "gravest error."

The defense attorney has also said he will give evidence about individuals "both known and unknown" who should come under investigation.

Further Testimony

Ms Cordingley's partner, Marco Heidenreich, whom police quickly ruled out as a person of interest, was among those who gave evidence previously.

The court heard he was an immediate police suspect – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's father about whether he was involved in his girlfriend's vanishing, prior to her remains were discovered.

Images depicting Mr Heidenreich on a walk with a friend on the date Ms Cordingley disappeared have been shown to the court, with an specialist saying he was confident the pictures were authentic and had not been doctored in any way.

The case will return to the standard environment of the courtroom on the next day.

Amy Mcknight
Amy Mcknight

Elara is a seasoned gaming enthusiast who shares expert tips and reviews on online casinos and slot games.