Panel of Jurors in Prominent Down Under Homicide Trial Tours Shoreline At Which Victim Was Discovered

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

Jurors involved in a widely publicized Queensland homicide case have been taken to the remote shore where the victim was located.

The 24-year-old victim was multiple times attacked with a bladed weapon and placed in a sandy grave with minimal hope of surviving, the jury has heard.

The remains were found by a family member the following day on Wangetti Beach – a section of shoreline nestled between the tourist centres of Cairns and Port Douglas.

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

Jury Visit to Crime Scene

The panel of 10 men and two women plus three back-up jurors attended the location along with the judge and barristers on the start of the week in Queensland.

In a nod to the tropical conditions and temperatures above 30C, Justice Lincoln Crowley wore a T-shirt, sport shorts and trainers rather than a wig and robes.

Both the lead prosecution and defense attorneys selected polo shirts, shorts 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.

Earlier, as they traveled to the site, several red and white cones indicated where the victim's car had been parked.

The visit was designed to help the panel become familiar with key locations in the trial and no official evidence was given.

Background of the Trial

Last week, the Cairns Supreme Court was informed that the day after Ms Cordingley's remains were found, Mr Singh flew from Australia to India – abandoning his spouse, three children and parents.

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

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

Prosecution Argument

It is alleged that Mr Singh, who was employed in healthcare in the town of Innisfail, near Cairns, had a altercation with Ms Cordingley.

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

Those items were removed by the assailant to conceal evidence, prosecutors contend.

Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a walk, was found tied up to a post hidden in bushland about 30 metres from the burial site.

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

But the state says the evidence – though indirect – was comprised proof that pointed to Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."

This will involve evidence that DNA obtained from a stick at the location was 3.8 billion times more likely to have originated from Mr Singh than a random member of the public.

The jury has already heard testimony suggesting that Ms Cordingley's mobile device left the scene after the killing – and that its movements corresponded with those of a vehicle owned by the defendant.

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

Defence Position

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

The defence is yet to present any evidence, but in his opening address, Mr Singh's barrister the lawyer described his defendant as a "placid" and "compassionate" 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 assailants attack Ms Cordingley and then had fled in terror – something he said was his "gravest error."

Mr McGuire has also said he will give evidence about individuals "identified and unidentified" who should come under suspicion.

Additional Evidence

Ms Cordingley's partner, Marco Heidenreich, whom police quickly ruled out as a person of interest, was one who gave evidence previously.

The court heard he was an immediate person of interest – and that he had been interrogated from Ms Cordingley's father about whether he was involved in his girlfriend's disappearance, prior to her body were found.

Photographs depicting Mr Heidenreich on a hike with a companion on the day Ms Cordingley went missing have been presented to the court, with an expert saying he was confident the photos were genuine and had not been doctored in any manner.

The trial will resume to the standard environment of the courthouse on Tuesday.

Helen Tucker
Helen Tucker

Elara is a historian and leadership coach with over a decade of experience in guiding individuals through transformative strategic journeys.