Jury in High-Profile Down Under Murder Trial Visits Shoreline At Which Deceased Was Discovered
Jurors overseeing a high-profile Australian murder trial have traveled to the remote beach where the victim was located.
The 24-year-old victim was multiple times attacked with a sharp object and placed in a sandy grave with minimal hope of surviving, the court has heard.
The remains were discovered by her father the next day on Wangetti Beach – a section of coastline nestled between the popular destinations of Cairns and Port Douglas.
Rajwinder Singh, 41, denies murdering Ms Cordingley on a weekend in October 2018 in Far North Queensland.
Court Inspection to Crime Scene
The jury of 12 individuals plus several alternates visited the beach along with the judge and legal counsel on the start of the week local time.
In a acknowledgment of the tropical conditions and temperatures above 30C, the judge opted for a T-shirt, athletic wear and sneakers rather than traditional court attire.
Both the prosecuting and defence barristers selected polo shirts, shorts and headwear.
Location Particulars
The court members were guided around three-quarters of a mile north up the sand to observe where Ms Cordingley's body were uncovered.
Earlier, as they arrived by bus, several red and white cones showed where the victim's car had been parked.
The trip was designed to help the panel become familiar with key locations in the trial and no testimony was presented.
Context of the Trial
Previously, the court heard that the day after Ms Cordingley's remains were discovered, the accused departed from Australia to India – leaving behind his wife, family and relatives.
He was out of contact until he was apprehended four years later, the prosecution said.
State Argument
It is claimed that Mr Singh, who was employed in healthcare in the community of Innisfail, south of Cairns, had a confrontation with Ms Cordingley.
The pharmacy worker was discovered wearing a bikini, with her attire and belongings missing.
Those objects were taken by the assailant to avoid detection, prosecutors contend.
Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had brought along for a walk, was found tied up to a post hidden in bushland about 100 feet from the burial site.
The weapon was found, and no one have been found.
But the state says the evidence – though indirect – was comprised proof that pointed to Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."
This will include evidence that genetic material obtained from a stick at the scene was extremely more likely to have come from Mr Singh than a unrelated individual of the public.
The jury has already heard evidence indicating that Ms Cordingley's mobile device departed the scene after the incident – and that its movements corresponded with those of a blue Alfa Romeo belonging to the defendant.
Mr Singh's quick exit from Australia also pointed to his involvement, the prosecution has claimed.
Defence Stance
"As the police were finding Toyah's body, he was arranging... a hurriedly arranged one way trip back to India," the prosecutor said previously as he opened his case.
The defence is yet to provided testimony, but in his initial statement, the defense attorney the lawyer portrayed his client as a "placid" and "caring" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the unfortunate moment."
He also hinted at evidence to come subsequently that, after his arrest, Mr Singh told an undercover officer he had witnessed two masked men attack Ms Cordingley and then had fled in terror – something he said was his "gravest error."
Mr McGuire has also said he will give evidence about individuals "identified and unidentified" who should come under investigation.
Further Evidence
Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, the witness, whom police quickly ruled out as a possible suspect, was among those who gave evidence last week.
The court was informed he was an immediate police suspect – and that he had been interrogated from Ms Cordingley's father about whether he was implicated in his partner's disappearance, prior to her remains were found.
Images showing Mr Heidenreich on a hike with a companion on the date Ms Cordingley went missing have been presented to the court, with an specialist saying he was confident the pictures were genuine and had not been altered in any way.
The case will return to the standard environment of the courtroom on the next day.