Panel of Jurors in Prominent Down Under Homicide Case Visits Beach At Which Deceased Was Discovered
Members of the jury overseeing a high-profile Australian murder trial have been taken to the remote beach where the victim was discovered.
Toyah Cordingley was multiple times stabbed with a bladed weapon and placed in a sandy grave with little or no hope of surviving, the jury has heard.
Her body were discovered by her father the next day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch of shoreline nestled between the tourist centres of Cairns and Port Douglas.
Rajwinder Singh, 41, denies murdering Ms Cordingley on a weekend in October 2018 in Far North Queensland.
Jury Visit to Crime Scene
The panel of 10 men and two women plus several back-up jurors visited the beach along with the judge and barristers on Monday morning in Queensland.
In a nod to the tropical conditions and sweltering heat, the judge wore a T-shirt, athletic wear and trainers rather than a wig and robes.
Both the prosecuting and defence barristers selected casual shirts, shorts and headwear.
Location Particulars
The court members were guided around 1.2km north up the sand to see where Ms Cordingley's remains were uncovered.
Earlier, as they arrived by bus, four markers showed where the victim's car had been left.
The visit was intended to help the jurors become familiar with important sites in the case and no official evidence was given.
Background of the Trial
Previously, the Cairns Supreme Court heard that the day after Ms Cordingley's remains were discovered, Mr Singh flew from Australia to India – leaving behind his spouse, family and parents.
He was out of contact until he was apprehended years after, the prosecution said.
Prosecution Case
It is alleged that the defendant, who was working as a nurse in the town of Innisfail, near Cairns, had a altercation with Ms Cordingley.
The victim was discovered wearing a swimwear, with her attire and most of her possessions absent.
Those objects were taken by the assailant to conceal evidence, the prosecution contend.
Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a walk, was located secured to a post concealed in bushland about 100 feet from the burial site.
No murder weapon was found, and no one have been found.
But the prosecution says the evidence – though circumstantial – was made up of proof that pointed to Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."
This will involve testimony that genetic material recovered from a object at the location was extremely more likely to have come from Mr Singh than a unrelated individual of the population.
The court has previously been told evidence indicating that Ms Cordingley's phone left the beach after the killing – and that its movements matched those of a vehicle 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 remains, he was arranging... a hurriedly arranged one way trip back to India," Mr Crane said previously as he began arguments.
The defence is has not provided testimony, but in his opening address, the defense attorney Greg McGuire portrayed his defendant as a "calm" and "compassionate" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the unfortunate moment."
He also foreshadowed evidence to come subsequently that, after his arrest, Mr Singh informed an plainclothes agent he had seen two masked men assault Ms Cordingley and then had run away in terror – something he said was his "biggest mistake."
The defense attorney has also said he will testify about individuals "identified and unidentified" who should come under investigation.
Further Evidence
Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, the witness, whom authorities excluded 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 partner's disappearance, even before her remains were discovered.
Images depicting Mr Heidenreich on a hike with a friend on the date Ms Cordingley went missing have been presented to the court, with an specialist saying he was confident the photos were authentic and had not been altered in any manner.
The trial will return to the standard environment of the courtroom on the next day.
