Jury in High-Profile Down Under Murder Trial Visits Shoreline At Which Victim Was Found
Members of the jury involved in a high-profile Queensland homicide case have been taken to the isolated shore where the young woman was located.
Toyah Cordingley was multiple times attacked with a bladed weapon and buried in a shallow resting place with little or no chance of survival, the court has heard.
Her body were discovered by her father the next day on Wangetti Beach – a section of coastline nestled between the tourist centres of Cairns and Port Douglas.
Rajwinder Singh, 41, denies 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 several alternates visited the location along with the presiding officer and barristers on Monday morning in Queensland.
In a nod to the tropical conditions and sweltering heat, Justice Lincoln Crowley opted for a T-shirt, athletic wear and sneakers rather than a wig and robes.
Both the lead prosecution and defence barristers chose polo shirts, shorts and baseball caps.
Location Details
The court members were guided around 1.2km north up the sand to see where Ms Cordingley's remains were uncovered.
Upon arrival, as they arrived by bus, four red and white cones showed where the vehicle had been left.
The trip was intended to help the panel become acquainted with important sites in the case and no official evidence was given.
Context of the Trial
Last week, the court was informed that the day after Ms Cordingley's body were found, Mr Singh flew from Australia to India – abandoning his wife, three children and relatives.
He was not heard from until he was apprehended four years later, the prosecution said.
Prosecution Argument
It is claimed that the defendant, who was working as a nurse in the community of Innisfail, south of Cairns, had a confrontation with Ms Cordingley.
The pharmacy worker was discovered wearing a swimwear, with her attire and belongings absent.
Those objects were removed by the killer to conceal evidence, prosecutors contend.
Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a stroll, was found secured to a post concealed in shrubland about 30 metres from the grave.
No murder weapon was ever recovered, and no one have been identified.
But the state says the crown's case – though indirect – was comprised findings that indicated Mr Singh "and eliminated others."
This will include testimony that genetic material obtained from a stick at the scene was 3.8 billion times more probable to have originated from Mr Singh than a unrelated individual of the public.
The jury has previously been told evidence indicating that Ms Cordingley's mobile device departed the scene after the killing – and that its travel corresponded with those of a blue Alfa Romeo owned by the defendant.
Mr Singh's quick exit from Australia also suggested his involvement, the prosecution has claimed.
Defense Position
"As the police were discovering Toyah's body, he was organizing... a hurriedly arranged single journey back to India," the prosecutor said last week as he began arguments.
The defense is has not present any evidence, but in his opening address, the defense attorney Greg McGuire portrayed 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 told an undercover officer he had seen 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 individuals "both known and unknown" who should come under investigation.
Additional Evidence
Ms Cordingley's partner, the witness, whom police excluded as a possible suspect, was one who gave evidence previously.
The trial heard he was an immediate person of interest – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's father about whether he was involved in his partner's disappearance, even before her body were found.
Images depicting Mr Heidenreich on a hike with a companion on the date Ms Cordingley disappeared have been shown to the jury, with an specialist saying he was confident the pictures were genuine and had not been doctored in any way.
The case will resume to the standard environment of the courtroom on the next day.
