Panel of Jurors in Prominent Australian Murder Trial Tours Beach At Which Deceased Was Discovered

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

Jurors overseeing a high-profile Queensland murder trial have traveled to the isolated beach where the victim was discovered.

The 24-year-old victim was repeatedly attacked with a sharp object and placed in a shallow resting place with little or no chance of survival, the jury has been told.

Her body were discovered by a family member the following day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch of coastline nestled between the popular destinations of Cairns and Port Douglas.

Rajwinder Singh, 41, denies murdering Ms Cordingley on a Sunday afternoon in October 2018 in Far North Queensland.

Court Visit to Beach

The panel of 12 individuals plus three back-up jurors visited the location along with the presiding officer and barristers on the start of the week in Queensland.

In a acknowledgment of the tropical conditions and temperatures above 30C, Justice Lincoln Crowley opted for a T-shirt, sport shorts and sneakers rather than a wig and robes.

Both the prosecuting and defense attorneys chose polo shirts, bottoms and headwear.

Scene Particulars

The court members were led around 1.2km north up the sand 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 trip was intended to help the panel become acquainted with key locations in the case and no testimony was presented.

Context of the Trial

Previously, the Cairns Supreme Court heard that the day after Ms Cordingley's body were discovered, the accused flew from Australia to India – leaving behind his wife, three children and parents.

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

Court officials at the beach
The judge with barristers and other court officials at Wangetti Beach.

Prosecution Argument

It is claimed 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 found wearing a swimwear, with all her other clothes and belongings absent.

Those items 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 found tied up to a tree hidden in shrubland about 30 metres from the grave.

The weapon was found, and no one have been found.

But the state says the crown's case – though indirect – was comprised proof that indicated Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."

This will include evidence that genetic material obtained 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 testimony indicating that Ms Cordingley's phone departed the beach after the killing – and that its movements corresponded with those of a blue Alfa Romeo belonging to the defendant.

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

Defense Stance

"While authorities were discovering Toyah's remains, he was arranging... a hurriedly arranged one way trip back to India," the prosecutor said last week as he opened his case.

The defence is has not provided testimony, but in his opening address, the defense attorney the lawyer portrayed his client as a "placid" and "caring" man, who was in the "wrong place at the wrong time."

He also hinted at testimony to come subsequently that, after his arrest, Mr Singh informed an plainclothes agent he had seen two masked men attack Ms Cordingley and then had fled in fear – something he said was his "gravest error."

Mr McGuire has also said he will testify about other people "identified and unidentified" who should come under suspicion.

Further Evidence

Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, Marco Heidenreich, whom police quickly ruled out as a possible suspect, was among those who testified previously.

The court was informed he was an initial police suspect – and that he had been interrogated from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was involved in his girlfriend's disappearance, prior to her remains were discovered.

Images showing the witness on a walk with a friend on the day Ms Cordingley went missing have been presented to the jury, with an specialist saying he was certain the photos were authentic and had not been altered in any manner.

The trial will return to the standard environment of the courthouse on the next day.

Gregory Nelson
Gregory Nelson

A seasoned esports analyst and coach with over a decade of experience in competitive gaming strategies.