Panel of Jurors in High-Profile Down Under Murder Trial Tours Beach Where Deceased Was Discovered
Members of the jury overseeing a widely publicized Australian homicide case have been taken to the isolated beach where the victim was located.
Toyah Cordingley was repeatedly attacked with a bladed weapon and placed in a sandy grave with little or no hope of surviving, the court has heard.
Her body were found by her father the following day on Wangetti Beach – a section of shoreline nestled 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 Visit to Crime Scene
The jury of 12 individuals plus three back-up jurors visited the location along with the judge and legal counsel on Monday morning in Queensland.
In a acknowledgment of the hot climate and temperatures above 30C, the judge opted for a casual top, sport shorts and trainers rather than a wig and robes.
Both the lead prosecution and defense attorneys chose polo shirts, bottoms and headwear.
Location Particulars
The jurors 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 victim's car had been left.
The visit was intended to help the panel become acquainted with key locations in the case and no official evidence was presented.
Context of the Trial
Last week, the court was informed that the day after Ms Cordingley's body were found, Mr Singh flew from Australia to India – leaving behind his spouse, family and parents.
He was out of contact until he was arrested four years later, the state said.
State Case
It is claimed that the defendant, who was employed in healthcare in the community of Innisfail, near Cairns, had a altercation with Ms Cordingley.
The victim was found wearing a bikini, with her attire and belongings absent.
Those items were taken by the assailant to conceal evidence, prosecutors contend.
Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a stroll, was located tied up to a tree hidden in bushland about 100 feet from the grave.
The weapon was ever recovered, and no one have been found.
But the prosecution says the evidence – though circumstantial – was comprised proof that indicated Mr Singh "and eliminated others."
This will include evidence that genetic material obtained from a object at the scene was extremely more probable to have originated from Mr Singh than a random member of the public.
The court has previously been told evidence suggesting that Ms Cordingley's phone left the beach after the killing – and that its travel corresponded with those of a vehicle belonging to the accused.
Mr Singh's quick exit from Australia also pointed to his involvement, the prosecution has argued.
Defence Stance
"While authorities were finding Toyah's body, he was organizing... a hurriedly arranged single journey back to India," the prosecutor said previously as he opened his case.
The defense is has not provided testimony, but in his opening address, the defense attorney Greg McGuire portrayed his defendant as a "placid" and "compassionate" man, who was in the "wrong place at the unfortunate moment."
He also hinted at evidence to come later in the trial that, after his apprehension, Mr Singh informed an plainclothes agent he had witnessed assailants attack Ms Cordingley and then had fled in terror – something he said was his "biggest mistake."
Mr McGuire has also said he will give evidence about other people "both known and unknown" who should come under investigation.
Further Testimony
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 initial person of interest – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was involved in his partner's disappearance, even before her remains were discovered.
Images showing the witness on a hike with a companion on the date Ms Cordingley went missing have been presented to the court, with an expert saying he was confident the photos were authentic and had not been altered in any manner.
The trial will resume to the more conventional setting of the courtroom on Tuesday.