Jury in Prominent Down Under Murder Trial Visits Beach Where Victim Was Found

Wangetti Beach scene
The remains of Toyah Cordingley was discovered on a remote beach in Far North Queensland in 2018.

Jurors overseeing a high-profile Queensland homicide case have been taken to the isolated beach where the victim was discovered.

Toyah Cordingley was multiple times attacked with a bladed weapon and buried in a sandy resting place with little or no chance of survival, the jury has been told.

The remains were discovered by her father the following day on Wangetti Beach – a section of shoreline between the popular destinations of Cairns and Port Douglas.

Rajwinder Singh, 41, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Cordingley on a weekend in October 2018 in northern Australia.

Court Visit to Crime Scene

The panel of 12 individuals plus three alternates attended 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 casual top, sport shorts and trainers rather than a wig and robes.

Both the prosecuting and defence barristers selected polo shirts, bottoms and baseball caps.

Location Particulars

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

Upon arrival, as they arrived by bus, several markers indicated where the vehicle had been left.

The trip was designed to help the panel become familiar with important sites in the trial and no testimony was presented.

Background of the Case

Previously, the court heard that the following day Ms Cordingley's remains were found, the accused flew from Australia to India – leaving behind his wife, family and relatives.

He was not heard from until he was arrested years after, the state said.

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

Prosecution Argument

It is alleged that the defendant, who was employed in healthcare in the community of Innisfail, south of Cairns, had a altercation with Ms Cordingley.

The victim was discovered wearing a bikini, with all her other clothes and most of her possessions missing.

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

Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had brought along for a walk, was located secured to a post hidden in bushland about 100 feet from the grave.

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

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

This will include testimony that genetic material recovered from a object at the location was 3.8 billion times more probable to have come from Mr Singh than a unrelated individual of the population.

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

Mr Singh's sudden departure from Australia also pointed to his involvement, the state has argued.

Defence Stance

"As the police were finding Toyah's remains, he was organizing... a rushed single journey back to India," Mr Crane said last week as he began arguments.

The defence is has not provided testimony, but in his initial statement, Mr Singh's barrister the lawyer described his defendant as a "calm" 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 assault Ms Cordingley and then had run away in fear – 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 suspicion.

Additional Testimony

Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, Marco Heidenreich, whom authorities quickly ruled out as a possible suspect, was one who testified last week.

The court 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 remains were found.

Photographs depicting Mr Heidenreich on a walk with a companion on the day Ms Cordingley went missing have been shown to the court, with an specialist saying he was confident the photos were authentic and had not been altered in any way.

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

Patrick Barrett
Patrick Barrett

Elara is a seasoned gaming journalist with a passion for slot mechanics and player advocacy in the UK market.