Panel of Jurors in Prominent Australian Murder Trial Tours Shoreline At Which Deceased Was Found

Wangetti Beach scene
The remains of Toyah Cordingley were found on a remote beach in northern Queensland back in 2018.

Members of the jury involved in a widely publicized Australian murder trial have been taken to the remote shore where the young woman was located.

The 24-year-old victim was multiple times attacked with a sharp object and placed in a shallow resting place with minimal chance of survival, the jury has heard.

Her body were found by her father the next day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch of coastline between the tourist centres of Cairns and Port Douglas.

Rajwinder Singh, 41, denies murdering Ms Cordingley on a Sunday afternoon in October 2018 in northern Australia.

Jury Visit to Crime Scene

The jury of 12 individuals plus several back-up jurors attended the beach along with the presiding officer and barristers on Monday morning local time.

In a nod to the tropical conditions and sweltering heat, Justice Lincoln Crowley opted for a casual top, athletic wear and trainers rather than traditional court attire.

Both the prosecuting and defence barristers selected casual shirts, shorts and headwear.

Location Details

The jurors were led around three-quarters of a mile along the beach to observe where Ms Cordingley's body were discovered.

Upon arrival, as they traveled to the site, several markers showed where the victim's car had been parked.

The visit was designed to help the jurors become acquainted with important sites in the trial and no testimony was given.

Background of the Case

Last week, the court heard that the day after Ms Cordingley's body were discovered, the accused departed from Australia to India – abandoning his wife, three children and relatives.

He was out of contact until he was apprehended 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 claimed that the defendant, who was employed in healthcare in the community of Innisfail, near Cairns, had a altercation with Ms Cordingley.

The pharmacy worker was found wearing a bikini, with her attire and belongings missing.

Those objects were taken by the killer to avoid detection, prosecutors allege.

Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a walk, was found secured to a tree hidden in shrubland about 30 metres from the grave.

No murder weapon was ever recovered, and no eyewitnesses have been found.

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

This will include evidence that DNA obtained from a object at the scene was 3.8 billion times more likely to have come from Mr Singh than a unrelated individual of the public.

The court has previously been told evidence indicating that Ms Cordingley's mobile device left the beach after the killing – and that its movements corresponded with those of a blue Alfa Romeo owned by the accused.

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

Defence Position

"As the police were discovering Toyah's remains, he was organizing... a hurriedly arranged single journey back to India," Mr Crane said previously as he opened his case.

The defense is yet to present any evidence, but in his initial statement, the defense attorney Greg McGuire described his defendant as a "placid" and "caring" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the wrong time."

He also hinted at evidence to come later in the trial that, after his apprehension, Mr Singh told an undercover officer he had seen assailants attack Ms Cordingley and then had run away in fear – something he said was his "biggest mistake."

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

Additional Testimony

Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, the witness, whom police quickly ruled out as a person of interest, was one who gave evidence last week.

The court was informed he was an initial police suspect – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's father about whether he was involved in his girlfriend's disappearance, prior to her remains were found.

Images depicting the witness on a hike with a companion on the day Ms Cordingley went missing have been shown to the jury, with an specialist saying he was certain the pictures were genuine and had not been altered in any way.

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

Anne Williams
Anne Williams

A passionate mobile gamer and strategist, sharing insights from years of competitive gameplay.