Panel of Jurors in High-Profile Australian Murder Trial Tours Shoreline Where Deceased Was Discovered

Wangetti Beach scene
The body of Toyah Cordingley was discovered on a secluded beach in northern Queensland back in 2018.

Jurors involved in a widely publicized Australian murder trial have traveled 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 sandy resting place with minimal chance of survival, the court has been told.

Her body were found by her father the following 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 Sunday afternoon in October 2018 in Far North Queensland.

Jury Inspection to Beach

The jury of 12 individuals plus three alternates visited the beach along with the judge and legal counsel on the start of the week in Queensland.

In a acknowledgment of 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 chose polo shirts, bottoms and baseball caps.

Scene Details

The court members were led around three-quarters of a mile north up the sand to see where Ms Cordingley's body were uncovered.

Upon arrival, as they arrived by bus, four markers showed where the vehicle had been parked.

The trip was designed to help the panel become familiar with key locations in the case and no testimony was given.

Background of the Case

Last week, the court was informed that the day after Ms Cordingley's body were found, Mr Singh departed from Australia to India – abandoning his spouse, family and parents.

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

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

State Argument

It is claimed that the defendant, who was employed in healthcare in the community of Innisfail, near Cairns, had a confrontation with Ms Cordingley.

The pharmacy worker was found wearing a swimwear, with all her other clothes and belongings missing.

Those objects were removed by the killer to avoid detection, the prosecution allege.

Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a stroll, was found tied up to a tree concealed in shrubland about 100 feet from the burial site.

The weapon was found, and no one have been found.

But the prosecution says the crown's case – though circumstantial – was comprised findings that indicated Mr Singh "and eliminated others."

This will involve evidence that DNA recovered from a object at the scene was 3.8 billion times more probable to have come from Mr Singh than a unrelated individual of the population.

The court has already heard evidence indicating that Ms Cordingley's phone departed the scene after the killing – and that its movements matched those of a vehicle owned by the defendant.

Mr Singh's sudden departure from Australia also suggested his involvement, the prosecution has claimed.

Defense Stance

"While authorities were finding Toyah's body, he was arranging... a hurriedly arranged single journey back to India," Mr Crane said previously as he began arguments.

The defence is yet to provided testimony, but in his opening address, Mr Singh's barrister the lawyer described his defendant as a "placid" and "caring" man, who was in the "wrong place at the wrong time."

He also foreshadowed evidence to come subsequently that, after his apprehension, Mr Singh informed an undercover officer he had witnessed assailants assault Ms Cordingley and then had run away in terror – something he said was his "biggest mistake."

Mr McGuire has also said he will give evidence about individuals "identified and unidentified" who should come under investigation.

Additional Evidence

Ms Cordingley's partner, Marco Heidenreich, whom police excluded as a possible suspect, was one who gave evidence last week.

The court was informed 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 discovered.

Images showing Mr Heidenreich on a walk with a companion on the day Ms Cordingley went missing have been presented to the jury, with an specialist saying he was certain the photos were genuine and had not been altered in any way.

The trial will resume to the standard environment of the courtroom on Tuesday.

Timothy Hood
Timothy Hood

A seasoned card game strategist and content creator, passionate about sharing winning tactics and fostering community engagement.