Panel of Jurors in Prominent Down Under Homicide Trial Visits Shoreline At Which Victim Was Discovered
Jurors overseeing a high-profile Australian murder trial have been taken to the isolated shore where the victim was located.
Toyah Cordingley was repeatedly stabbed with a bladed weapon and placed in a sandy resting place with minimal hope of surviving, the jury has been told.
The remains were discovered by a family member the next day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch of shoreline nestled between the tourist centres of Cairns and Port Douglas.
The accused, 41, has pleaded not guilty to killing Ms Cordingley on a Sunday afternoon in October 2018 in northern Australia.
Court Inspection to Beach
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 acknowledgment of the hot climate and temperatures above 30C, Justice Lincoln Crowley opted for a T-shirt, athletic wear and sneakers rather than traditional court attire.
Both the prosecuting and defence barristers chose polo shirts, bottoms and headwear.
Scene Particulars
The jurors were guided around three-quarters of a mile north up the sand to observe where Ms Cordingley's remains were discovered.
Earlier, as they arrived by bus, four markers showed where the victim's car had been parked.
The visit was intended to help the panel become acquainted with important sites in the trial and no official evidence was given.
Context of the Case
Previously, the court was informed that the following day Ms Cordingley's remains were found, Mr Singh flew from Australia to India – abandoning his wife, family and parents.
He was out of contact until he was apprehended years after, the state said.
Prosecution Case
It is claimed that the defendant, who was working as a nurse in the town of Innisfail, south of Cairns, had a altercation with Ms Cordingley.
The victim was discovered wearing a swimwear, with her attire and belongings missing.
Those objects were removed by the killer to avoid detection, the prosecution contend.
Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a walk, was found tied up to a tree concealed in shrubland about 30 metres from the grave.
No murder weapon was ever recovered, and no one have been found.
But the prosecution says the evidence – though indirect – was made up of proof that indicated Mr Singh "and eliminated others."
This will include evidence that DNA 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 testimony indicating that Ms Cordingley's phone left the beach after the incident – and that its travel corresponded with those of a vehicle owned by the accused.
Mr Singh's sudden departure from Australia also pointed to his guilt, the state has argued.
Defense Position
"As the police were discovering Toyah's remains, he was arranging... a hurriedly arranged single journey back to India," Mr Crane said last week as he began arguments.
The defence is yet to provided testimony, but in his initial statement, the defense attorney the lawyer portrayed his client as a "placid" and "compassionate" 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 informed an plainclothes agent he had seen two masked men attack Ms Cordingley and then had run away in fear – something he said was his "biggest mistake."
The defense attorney has also said he will give evidence about individuals "identified and unidentified" who should come under investigation.
Additional Testimony
Ms Cordingley's partner, Marco Heidenreich, whom police quickly ruled out as a possible suspect, was one who testified previously.
The trial was informed he was an initial person of interest – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was implicated in his girlfriend's vanishing, even before her body were discovered.
Photographs showing Mr Heidenreich on a hike with a companion on the date Ms Cordingley disappeared have been shown to the jury, with an specialist saying he was confident the photos were genuine and had not been altered in any manner.
The case will resume to the standard environment of the courthouse on Tuesday.
