Jury in Prominent Australian Murder Case Tours Beach At Which Victim Was Discovered

Wangetti Beach scene
The remains of Toyah Cordingley were found on a secluded coastline in Far North Queensland in 2018.

Members of the jury involved in a high-profile Queensland murder trial have traveled to the isolated beach where the victim was located.

The 24-year-old victim was repeatedly attacked with a bladed weapon and buried in a shallow grave with minimal chance of survival, the court has heard.

Her body were found by a family member the next day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch of coastline between the popular destinations 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.

Court Visit to Beach

The jury of 12 individuals plus three back-up jurors attended the location along with the judge and legal counsel 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 trainers rather than a wig and robes.

Both the prosecuting and defense attorneys selected polo shirts, bottoms and headwear.

Scene Details

The court members were guided around 1.2km north up the sand to see where Ms Cordingley's remains were discovered.

Earlier, as they traveled to the site, four markers indicated where the vehicle had been parked.

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

Background of the Trial

Last week, the court was informed that the following day Ms Cordingley's body were discovered, the accused flew from Australia to India – leaving behind his wife, family and parents.

He was out of contact until he was arrested four years later, the prosecution said.

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

Prosecution Case

It is alleged that Mr Singh, who was working as a nurse in the town of Innisfail, south of Cairns, had a confrontation with Ms Cordingley.

The victim was found wearing a swimwear, with her attire and belongings missing.

Those items were removed by the killer to conceal evidence, prosecutors allege.

Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had brought along for a walk, was located secured to a tree concealed in shrubland about 30 metres from the grave.

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

But the state says the evidence – though circumstantial – was comprised proof that pointed to Mr Singh "and eliminated others."

This will include testimony that DNA recovered from a stick at the location was 3.8 billion times more likely to have come from Mr Singh than a unrelated individual of the public.

The jury has previously been told testimony suggesting that Ms Cordingley's mobile device left the scene after the incident – and that its travel matched those of a blue Alfa Romeo owned by the defendant.

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

Defence Stance

"As the police were discovering Toyah's remains, he was organizing... a hurriedly arranged single journey back to India," Mr Crane said last week as he began arguments.

The defense is yet to present any evidence, 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 unfortunate moment."

He also foreshadowed testimony to come later in the trial that, after his arrest, Mr Singh informed an undercover officer he had seen two masked men attack Ms Cordingley and then had fled in fear – something he said was his "gravest error."

Mr McGuire has also said he will testify about other people "both known and unknown" who should come under investigation.

Additional Testimony

Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, Marco Heidenreich, whom authorities quickly ruled out as a possible suspect, was among those who testified last week.

The court was informed he was an initial person of interest – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was implicated in his girlfriend's disappearance, even before her body were discovered.

Images showing Mr Heidenreich on a walk with a companion on the date Ms Cordingley disappeared have been shown to the court, with an expert saying he was confident the pictures were genuine and had not been altered in any manner.

The trial will return to the standard environment of the courthouse on the next day.

Nicole Gilbert
Nicole Gilbert

Elara is a seasoned academic mentor with a passion for helping students excel in their educational journeys and professional endeavors.