Panel of Jurors in High-Profile Down Under Murder Case Visits Beach At Which Deceased Was Found
Members of the jury overseeing a widely publicized Australian homicide case have been taken to the remote shore where the young woman was located.
The 24-year-old victim was repeatedly stabbed with a bladed weapon and buried in a sandy resting place with little or no hope of surviving, the court has heard.
The remains were discovered by a family member the following day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch of coastline nestled between the popular destinations of Cairns and Port Douglas.
The accused, 41, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Cordingley on a Sunday afternoon in October 2018 in Far North Queensland.
Jury Visit to Crime Scene
The jury of 12 individuals plus three back-up jurors visited the location along with the judge and legal counsel on the start of the week in Queensland.
In a acknowledgment of the tropical conditions and sweltering heat, Justice Lincoln Crowley opted for a T-shirt, athletic wear and sneakers rather than traditional court attire.
Both the prosecuting and defence barristers chose casual shirts, shorts and baseball caps.
Scene Details
The court members were led around 1.2km north up the sand to observe where Ms Cordingley's body were discovered.
Earlier, as they arrived by bus, several red and white cones indicated where the victim's car had been left.
The visit was intended to help the panel become acquainted with important sites in the trial and no testimony was presented.
Context of the Case
Previously, the court heard that the day after Ms Cordingley's remains were discovered, Mr Singh flew from Australia to India – abandoning his spouse, three children and parents.
He was not heard from until he was arrested years after, the prosecution said.
Prosecution Case
It is alleged that Mr Singh, who was employed in healthcare in the community 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 missing.
Those objects were removed by the assailant to avoid detection, prosecutors allege.
Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had brought along for a walk, was located secured to a post hidden in shrubland about 30 metres from the burial site.
No murder weapon was ever recovered, and no eyewitnesses have been found.
But the state says the crown's case – though indirect – was made up of findings that indicated Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."
This will involve testimony that genetic material recovered from a object at the scene was extremely more likely to have originated from Mr Singh than a random member of the public.
The jury has already heard testimony indicating that Ms Cordingley's phone departed the scene after the incident – and that its movements matched those of a blue Alfa Romeo belonging to the defendant.
Mr Singh's quick exit from Australia also suggested his guilt, the prosecution has claimed.
Defense Stance
"While authorities were finding Toyah's body, he was organizing... a hurriedly arranged one way trip back to India," the prosecutor said previously as he opened his case.
The defense is yet to provided testimony, but in his initial statement, the defense attorney Greg McGuire described his client as a "calm" and "caring" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the unfortunate moment."
He also foreshadowed testimony to come subsequently that, after his arrest, Mr Singh informed an plainclothes agent he had witnessed two masked men assault 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 suspicion.
Additional Evidence
Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, the witness, whom authorities quickly ruled out as a person of interest, was among those who gave evidence last week.
The court was informed he was an immediate police suspect – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's father about whether he was involved in his partner's disappearance, even before her remains were found.
Images showing the witness on a hike with a friend on the date Ms Cordingley disappeared have been presented to the jury, with an expert saying he was confident the photos were genuine and had not been doctored in any way.
The case will return to the more conventional setting of the courthouse on the next day.
