Panel of Jurors in High-Profile Down Under Homicide Trial Tours Shoreline Where Deceased Was Discovered

Wangetti Beach scene
The body of Toyah Cordingley were found on a secluded coastline in northern Queensland in 2018.

Members of the jury overseeing a high-profile Queensland murder trial have traveled to the remote shore where the young woman was located.

Toyah Cordingley was repeatedly stabbed with a bladed weapon and placed in a shallow resting place with minimal hope of surviving, the court has been told.

Her body were discovered by a family member the following day on Wangetti Beach – a section of shoreline nestled between the popular destinations of Cairns and Port Douglas.

Rajwinder Singh, 41, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Cordingley on a Sunday afternoon in October 2018 in northern Australia.

Jury Visit to Beach

The panel of 12 individuals plus several back-up jurors attended the beach along with the judge and barristers on the start of the week in Queensland.

In a acknowledgment of the tropical conditions and sweltering heat, Justice Lincoln Crowley opted for a casual top, sport shorts and trainers rather than a wig and robes.

Both the lead prosecution and defense attorneys chose casual shirts, shorts and baseball caps.

Scene Particulars

The court members were guided around three-quarters of a mile along the beach to see where Ms Cordingley's remains were discovered.

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

The trip was intended to help the panel become acquainted with important sites in the trial and no testimony was given.

Background of the Trial

Previously, the court was informed that the following day Ms Cordingley's remains were found, the accused flew from Australia to India – abandoning his wife, family and relatives.

He was out of contact until he was arrested years after, the state said.

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

State Case

It is claimed that the defendant, who was working as a nurse in the town of Innisfail, south of Cairns, had a altercation with Ms Cordingley.

The victim was found wearing a bikini, with all her other clothes and belongings missing.

Those items were removed by the assailant to avoid detection, the prosecution contend.

Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a stroll, was found secured to a post hidden in bushland about 100 feet from the burial site.

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

But the state says the evidence – though circumstantial – was comprised proof that indicated Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."

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

The court has already heard evidence suggesting that Ms Cordingley's mobile device left the scene after the incident – and that its movements matched those of a vehicle belonging to the defendant.

Mr Singh's quick exit from Australia also pointed to his guilt, the state has argued.

Defense Stance

"While authorities were discovering Toyah's body, he was arranging... a hurriedly arranged single journey back to India," Mr Crane said last week as he opened his case.

The defense is yet to provided testimony, but in his initial statement, Mr Singh's barrister Greg McGuire described his client as a "calm" and "caring" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the unfortunate moment."

He also hinted at testimony to come later in the trial that, after his apprehension, Mr Singh informed an plainclothes agent he had seen assailants assault Ms Cordingley and then had fled in fear – something he said was his "gravest error."

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

Further Testimony

Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, Marco Heidenreich, whom police excluded as a person of interest, was among those who testified previously.

The trial heard 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 vanishing, prior to her remains were discovered.

Images depicting the witness on a hike with a friend on the date Ms Cordingley went missing have been presented to the jury, with an expert saying he was certain the photos were authentic and had not been doctored in any way.

The trial will resume to the more conventional setting of the courthouse on Tuesday.

Erin Horton
Erin Horton

Elara is a passionate poet and creative writing coach, sharing her love for words and storytelling to inspire others.