Panel of Jurors in Prominent Down Under Murder Case Visits Shoreline Where Victim Was Found

Wangetti Beach scene
The body of Toyah Cordingley were found on a secluded coastline in northern Queensland in 2018.

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

The 24-year-old victim was multiple times stabbed with a sharp object and placed in a shallow grave with little or no chance of survival, the court has heard.

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

Rajwinder Singh, 41, has pleaded not guilty to killing Ms Cordingley on a Sunday afternoon in October 2018 in northern Australia.

Jury Visit to Beach

The panel of 10 men and two women plus three back-up jurors visited the location along with the presiding officer and legal counsel on the start of the week local time.

In a nod to the hot climate and sweltering heat, the judge wore a casual top, 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 observe where Ms Cordingley's remains were discovered.

Earlier, as they arrived by bus, several markers indicated where the victim's car had been left.

The trip was designed to help the panel become familiar with key locations in the trial and no testimony was given.

Context of the Case

Last week, the Cairns Supreme Court heard that the day after Ms Cordingley's body were discovered, the accused flew from Australia to India – abandoning his wife, family and parents.

He was not heard from until he was apprehended four years later, the prosecution said.

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

Prosecution Case

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

The pharmacy worker was found wearing a bikini, with her attire and most of her possessions missing.

Those objects were removed by the assailant to conceal evidence, prosecutors allege.

Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a walk, was located tied up to a tree hidden in bushland about 30 metres from the grave.

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

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

This will include evidence that genetic material recovered from a stick at the location was extremely more probable to have come from Mr Singh than a random member of the population.

The jury has previously been told evidence indicating that Ms Cordingley's phone left the beach after the killing – and that its movements matched those of a blue Alfa Romeo owned by the accused.

Mr Singh's quick exit from Australia also suggested his guilt, the prosecution has argued.

Defence Position

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

The defence is has not present any evidence, but in his initial statement, the defense attorney Greg McGuire portrayed his client as a "placid" and "caring" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the unfortunate moment."

He also hinted at evidence to come subsequently that, after his apprehension, Mr Singh informed an undercover officer he had witnessed assailants assault Ms Cordingley and then had fled in fear – something he said was his "biggest mistake."

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

Additional Testimony

Ms Cordingley's partner, the witness, whom authorities quickly ruled out as a person of interest, was one who testified previously.

The trial heard he was an initial person of interest – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's father about whether he was implicated in his girlfriend's vanishing, even before her body were discovered.

Images showing the witness on a walk with a companion on the date Ms Cordingley disappeared have been shown to the court, with an expert saying he was certain the photos were genuine and had not been doctored in any manner.

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

Danielle Lowe
Danielle Lowe

A professional poker coach with over a decade of experience in high-stakes tournaments and strategy development.