Panel of Jurors in Prominent Down Under Murder Case Visits Beach Where Deceased Was Discovered

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

Jurors overseeing a widely publicized Queensland homicide case have been taken to the isolated shore where the young woman was discovered.

Toyah Cordingley was repeatedly stabbed with a sharp object and buried in a shallow resting place with minimal chance of survival, the jury has heard.

The remains were found by a family member the next day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch of shoreline nestled between the popular destinations of Cairns and Port Douglas.

The accused, 41, has pleaded not guilty to killing Ms Cordingley on a Sunday afternoon in October 2018 in northern Australia.

Court Inspection to Beach

The jury of 10 men and two women plus several alternates visited the beach along with the judge and barristers on Monday morning local time.

In a acknowledgment of the tropical conditions and sweltering heat, the judge opted for a casual top, sport shorts and sneakers rather than a wig and robes.

Both the prosecuting and defense attorneys chose casual shirts, shorts and headwear.

Location Particulars

The jurors were led around three-quarters of a mile north up the sand to observe where Ms Cordingley's remains were discovered.

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

The visit was designed to help the panel become acquainted with key locations in the case and no testimony was presented.

Background of the Case

Previously, the Cairns Supreme Court heard that the following day Ms Cordingley's remains were found, Mr Singh departed from Australia to India – abandoning his spouse, family and parents.

He was out of contact until he was apprehended years after, the state said.

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

Prosecution 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 victim was discovered wearing a bikini, with her attire and belongings absent.

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

Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had brought along for a stroll, was found secured to a tree concealed in bushland about 100 feet from the grave.

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

But the prosecution says the evidence – though circumstantial – was made up of findings that pointed to Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."

This will include evidence that DNA obtained from a stick at the scene was extremely more likely to have come from Mr Singh than a random member of the population.

The jury has previously been told testimony suggesting that Ms Cordingley's phone departed the scene after the incident – and that its movements matched those of a blue Alfa Romeo belonging to the accused.

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

Defence Position

"While authorities were discovering Toyah's remains, he was arranging... a rushed single journey back to India," the prosecutor said last week as he opened his case.

The defence is yet to present any evidence, but in his initial statement, the defense attorney Greg McGuire portrayed his client as a "placid" and "compassionate" man, who was in the "wrong place at the wrong time."

He also foreshadowed evidence to come later in the trial that, after his apprehension, Mr Singh informed an plainclothes agent he had seen 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 testify about other people "both known and unknown" who should come under suspicion.

Additional Testimony

Ms Cordingley's partner, the witness, whom authorities quickly ruled out as a possible suspect, was one who gave evidence previously.

The court heard he was an initial police suspect – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was implicated in his partner's disappearance, even before her body were discovered.

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

The trial will return to the more conventional setting of the courthouse on the next day.

Jade Anderson
Jade Anderson

Lena is a dedicated gaming journalist with a passion for exploring indie games and industry trends.