Panel of Jurors in High-Profile Australian Murder Trial Tours Shoreline Where Victim Was Discovered

Wangetti Beach scene
The body of Toyah Cordingley was discovered on a remote beach in Far North Queensland in 2018.

Jurors involved in a widely publicized Queensland murder trial have been taken to the isolated beach where the young woman was located.

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

The remains were found by a family member the following day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch of coastline nestled between the popular destinations of Cairns and Port Douglas.

Rajwinder Singh, 41, has pleaded not guilty to killing Ms Cordingley on a Sunday afternoon in October 2018 in Far North Queensland.

Court Inspection to Crime Scene

The panel of 12 individuals plus three back-up jurors attended the beach along with the presiding officer and barristers on the start of the week local time.

In a nod to the tropical conditions and temperatures above 30C, the judge wore a T-shirt, sport shorts and sneakers rather than traditional court attire.

Both the prosecuting and defence barristers selected polo shirts, shorts and baseball caps.

Scene Particulars

The court members were guided around 1.2km along the beach to see where Ms Cordingley's remains were uncovered.

Earlier, as they arrived by bus, several red and white cones showed where the vehicle had been parked.

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

Context of the Case

Last week, the court heard that the following day Ms Cordingley's body were found, Mr Singh flew from Australia to India – abandoning his wife, family and parents.

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

Court officials at the beach
Justice Lincoln Crowley with legal representatives and other personnel at Wangetti Beach.

Prosecution Argument

It is claimed that Mr Singh, who was working as a nurse in the community of Innisfail, near Cairns, had a altercation with Ms Cordingley.

The victim was discovered wearing a swimwear, with all her other clothes and most of her possessions absent.

Those objects were removed by the assailant to avoid detection, the prosecution allege.

Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a stroll, was found tied up to a post concealed in shrubland about 100 feet from the burial site.

The weapon was ever recovered, and no one have been identified.

But the prosecution says the crown's case – though indirect – was comprised proof that pointed to Mr Singh "and eliminated others."

This will include evidence that genetic material recovered from a stick at the location was extremely more likely to have originated from Mr Singh than a unrelated individual of the population.

The court has already heard testimony suggesting that Ms Cordingley's mobile device departed the scene after the incident – and that its movements corresponded with those of a blue Alfa Romeo owned by the accused.

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

Defence Stance

"As the police were discovering Toyah's remains, he was organizing... a rushed one way trip back to India," Mr Crane said previously as he began arguments.

The defense is has not provided testimony, but in his initial statement, Mr Singh's barrister the lawyer portrayed his defendant as a "calm" and "caring" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the wrong time."

He also foreshadowed evidence to come subsequently that, after his arrest, Mr Singh told an undercover officer he had witnessed two masked men assault Ms Cordingley and then had fled in fear – something he said was his "biggest mistake."

Mr McGuire has also said he will testify about other people "identified and unidentified" who should come under suspicion.

Further Testimony

Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, Marco Heidenreich, whom police excluded as a possible suspect, was one 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 implicated in his girlfriend's disappearance, prior to her body were discovered.

Photographs showing the witness on a walk with a friend on the date Ms Cordingley went missing have been shown to the jury, with an expert saying he was certain the photos were authentic and had not been altered in any manner.

The case will return to the more conventional setting of the courtroom on the next day.

Chloe Beck
Chloe Beck

Lena is a seasoned sports analyst with over a decade of experience in betting markets and statistical modeling.