Jury in Prominent Down Under Homicide Trial Visits Shoreline Where Deceased Was Found
Jurors overseeing a high-profile Queensland murder trial have been taken to the isolated shore where the young woman was located.
The 24-year-old victim was repeatedly stabbed with a sharp object and placed in a shallow grave with little or no hope of surviving, the court has heard.
Her body were found by a family member the following day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch of coastline nestled between the popular destinations of Cairns and Port Douglas.
The accused, 41, has pleaded not guilty to 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 three alternates attended the beach along with the presiding officer and barristers on the start of the week local time.
In a nod to the tropical conditions and sweltering heat, Justice Lincoln Crowley opted for a casual top, athletic wear and sneakers rather than traditional court attire.
Both the prosecuting and defense attorneys selected casual shirts, bottoms and baseball caps.
Location Details
The court members were guided around 1.2km along the beach to see where Ms Cordingley's remains were uncovered.
Earlier, as they traveled to the site, several markers showed where the vehicle had been parked.
The visit was intended to help the panel become acquainted with key locations in the trial and no testimony was given.
Background of the Case
Last week, the Cairns Supreme Court heard that the day after Ms Cordingley's remains were discovered, the accused departed 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.
State Argument
It is alleged that Mr Singh, who was working as a nurse in the community of Innisfail, near Cairns, had a confrontation with Ms Cordingley.
The pharmacy worker was discovered wearing a bikini, with all her other clothes and belongings missing.
Those objects were removed by the killer to avoid detection, prosecutors allege.
Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a walk, was located secured to a tree concealed in bushland about 30 metres from the burial site.
The weapon was ever recovered, and no one have been identified.
But the state says the crown's case – though circumstantial – was comprised proof that pointed to Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."
This will include evidence that DNA recovered from a object at the location was extremely more likely to have originated from Mr Singh than a random member of the population.
The jury has already heard evidence indicating that Ms Cordingley's mobile device left the beach after the incident – and that its movements matched those of a vehicle belonging to the defendant.
Mr Singh's sudden departure from Australia also pointed to his involvement, the prosecution has claimed.
Defense Stance
"While authorities were discovering Toyah's remains, he was organizing... a rushed single journey back to India," Mr Crane said last week as he opened his case.
The defence is yet to present any evidence, but in his opening address, the defense attorney Greg McGuire portrayed his client as a "placid" and "caring" man, who was in the "wrong place at the unfortunate moment."
He also hinted at testimony to come subsequently that, after his apprehension, Mr Singh told an plainclothes agent he had seen two masked men attack Ms Cordingley and then had fled in fear – something he said was his "biggest mistake."
The defense attorney has also said he will testify about individuals "both known and unknown" who should come under investigation.
Additional Testimony
Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, the witness, whom authorities quickly ruled out as a person of interest, was one who testified previously.
The trial heard he was an initial person of interest – and that he had been interrogated from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was implicated in his girlfriend's vanishing, prior to her remains were found.
Photographs showing Mr Heidenreich on a walk with a friend on the date Ms Cordingley went missing have been presented to the jury, with an specialist saying he was certain the pictures were authentic and had not been altered in any way.
The case will return to the more conventional setting of the courtroom on the next day.
