Panel of Jurors in High-Profile Down Under Murder Case Visits Beach Where Victim Was Discovered
Jurors overseeing a high-profile Australian homicide case have been taken to the remote beach where the young woman was discovered.
Toyah Cordingley was repeatedly stabbed with a bladed weapon and buried in a sandy grave with minimal hope of surviving, the jury has heard.
The remains were discovered by her father the following day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch of coastline nestled between the popular destinations of Cairns and Port Douglas.
The accused, 41, denies killing 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 presiding officer and legal counsel on Monday morning local time.
In a acknowledgment of the hot climate and sweltering heat, the judge opted for a T-shirt, sport shorts and sneakers rather than a wig and robes.
Both the prosecuting and defense attorneys selected polo shirts, shorts and headwear.
Location Details
The court members were guided around 1.2km north up the sand to observe where Ms Cordingley's remains were discovered.
Upon arrival, as they traveled to the site, four red and white cones showed where the victim's car had been left.
The visit was intended to help the panel become acquainted with key locations in the trial and no testimony was given.
Context of the Trial
Last week, the Cairns Supreme Court was informed that the day after Ms Cordingley's body were discovered, Mr Singh departed from Australia to India – abandoning his wife, family and relatives.
He was out of contact until he was arrested four years later, the prosecution said.
State Case
It is claimed that the defendant, who was working as a nurse in the town of Innisfail, near Cairns, had a altercation with Ms Cordingley.
The pharmacy worker was discovered wearing a bikini, with her attire and most of her possessions absent.
Those items were removed by the assailant to avoid detection, prosecutors contend.
Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a stroll, was found secured to a tree concealed in shrubland about 30 metres from the grave.
No murder weapon was found, and no one have been identified.
But the prosecution says the crown's case – though circumstantial – was made up of proof that indicated Mr Singh "and eliminated others."
This will include testimony that DNA recovered 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 population.
The jury has already heard evidence suggesting that Ms Cordingley's phone departed the beach after the incident – and that its travel corresponded with those of a vehicle belonging to the accused.
Mr Singh's sudden departure from Australia also pointed to his involvement, the prosecution has argued.
Defence Stance
"As the police were finding Toyah's remains, he was organizing... a hurriedly arranged single journey back to India," Mr Crane said last week as he opened his case.
The defence is yet to provided testimony, but in his initial statement, the defense attorney Greg McGuire described his defendant as a "calm" and "caring" man, who was in the "wrong place at the unfortunate moment."
He also hinted at evidence to come subsequently that, after his apprehension, Mr Singh informed an plainclothes agent he had witnessed 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 "both known and unknown" who should come under investigation.
Further Evidence
Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, the witness, whom police quickly ruled out as a possible suspect, was one who testified last week.
The trial heard he was an immediate police suspect – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's father about whether he was involved in his partner's disappearance, prior to her body were discovered.
Images depicting the witness on a walk with a friend on the day Ms Cordingley disappeared have been presented to the court, with an specialist saying he was certain the pictures were authentic and had not been doctored in any way.
The trial will return to the standard environment of the courtroom on Tuesday.