Panel of Jurors in Prominent Down Under Murder Trial Tours Shoreline Where Deceased Was Found
Members of the jury overseeing a high-profile Australian murder trial have been taken to the isolated beach where the young woman was located.
The 24-year-old victim was multiple times attacked with a sharp object and buried in a sandy grave with little or no chance of survival, the jury has heard.
Her body were found by a family member the next day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch of shoreline between the tourist centres of Cairns and Port Douglas.
Rajwinder Singh, 41, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Cordingley on a Sunday afternoon in October 2018 in Far North Queensland.
Court Visit to Crime Scene
The jury of 12 individuals plus three back-up jurors visited the location along with the presiding officer and barristers on Monday morning local time.
In a nod to the hot climate and sweltering heat, Justice Lincoln Crowley wore a casual top, athletic wear and trainers rather than a wig and robes.
Both the prosecuting and defence barristers selected casual shirts, shorts and baseball caps.
Location Details
The jurors were guided around 1.2km north up the sand to observe where Ms Cordingley's body were uncovered.
Upon arrival, as they arrived by bus, several red and white cones indicated where the vehicle had been parked.
The trip was designed to help the jurors become acquainted with important sites in the case and no testimony was presented.
Context of the Case
Last week, the Cairns Supreme Court heard that the following day Ms Cordingley's remains were found, the accused flew from Australia to India – leaving behind his wife, family and parents.
He was out of contact until he was apprehended years after, the prosecution said.
Prosecution Case
It is alleged that Mr Singh, who was working as a nurse in the town of Innisfail, south of Cairns, had a confrontation with Ms Cordingley.
The pharmacy worker was found wearing a bikini, with her attire and belongings missing.
Those items were taken by the killer to avoid detection, prosecutors allege.
Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had brought along for a walk, was located secured to a tree concealed in shrubland about 100 feet from the grave.
The weapon was found, and no one have been identified.
But the prosecution says the evidence – though circumstantial – was comprised proof that pointed to Mr Singh "and eliminated others."
This will include evidence that genetic material obtained from a stick at the location was 3.8 billion times more likely to have originated from Mr Singh than a unrelated individual of the public.
The jury has already heard testimony indicating that Ms Cordingley's mobile device left the beach after the killing – and that its movements corresponded with those of a blue Alfa Romeo belonging to the accused.
Mr Singh's sudden departure from Australia also suggested his involvement, the prosecution has argued.
Defense Stance
"As the police were finding Toyah's body, he was organizing... a hurriedly arranged one way trip back to India," Mr Crane said previously as he began arguments.
The defense is yet to provided testimony, but in his opening address, the defense attorney 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 evidence to come later in the trial that, after his arrest, Mr Singh told an undercover officer he had seen two masked men assault Ms Cordingley and then had run away in terror – something he said was his "gravest error."
Mr McGuire has also said he will testify about individuals "both known and unknown" who should come under suspicion.
Additional Testimony
Ms Cordingley's partner, Marco Heidenreich, whom police excluded as a possible suspect, was one who gave evidence last week.
The court heard he was an initial police suspect – and that he had been interrogated from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was implicated in his partner's disappearance, prior to her body were discovered.
Images showing the witness on a hike with a friend on the date Ms Cordingley disappeared have been presented to the court, with an specialist saying he was confident the photos were genuine and had not been altered in any manner.
The trial will return to the standard environment of the courtroom on Tuesday.