Panel of Jurors in Prominent Australian Homicide Trial Visits Beach Where Deceased Was Found

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

Members of the jury overseeing a high-profile Queensland homicide case have traveled to the remote shore where the victim was located.

Toyah Cordingley was multiple times stabbed with a bladed weapon and placed in a sandy grave with little or no hope of surviving, the court has heard.

Her body were discovered by a family member the following day on Wangetti Beach – a section of coastline nestled between the popular destinations of Cairns and Port Douglas.

The accused, 41, denies murdering Ms Cordingley on a weekend in October 2018 in Far North Queensland.

Jury Inspection to Crime Scene

The jury 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 hot climate and sweltering heat, Justice Lincoln Crowley opted for a T-shirt, sport shorts and trainers rather than traditional court attire.

Both the lead prosecution and defence barristers selected casual shirts, bottoms and headwear.

Scene Details

The court members were guided around three-quarters of a mile along the beach to observe where Ms Cordingley's remains were discovered.

Upon arrival, as they arrived by bus, several red and white cones showed where the victim's car had been parked.

The trip was intended to help the jurors become familiar with key locations in the trial and no official evidence was given.

Context of the Case

Last week, the court was informed that the day after Ms Cordingley's remains were discovered, Mr Singh flew from Australia to India – leaving behind his wife, family and parents.

He was not heard from until he was arrested years after, the state said.

Court officials at the beach
The judge with legal representatives and other personnel at Wangetti Beach.

Prosecution Argument

It is alleged that the defendant, who was working as a nurse in the community of Innisfail, south of Cairns, had a altercation with Ms Cordingley.

The pharmacy worker was found wearing a swimwear, with all her other clothes and most of her possessions missing.

Those objects were removed by the killer to avoid detection, 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 shrubland about 30 metres from the burial site.

The weapon was ever recovered, and no one have been found.

But the state says the evidence – though indirect – was made up of findings that indicated Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."

This will involve testimony that genetic material obtained from a stick at the location was extremely more probable to have originated from Mr Singh than a random member of the public.

The court has previously been told evidence indicating that Ms Cordingley's mobile device left the beach after the incident – and that its movements corresponded with those of a vehicle belonging to the accused.

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

Defense Position

"As the police were discovering Toyah's body, he was arranging... a rushed one way trip back to India," the prosecutor said last week as he began arguments.

The defence is yet to present any evidence, but in his initial statement, Mr Singh's barrister the lawyer described his defendant as a "placid" and "compassionate" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the wrong time."

He also foreshadowed evidence to come later in the trial that, after his apprehension, Mr Singh told an plainclothes agent he had seen assailants attack Ms Cordingley and then had fled in terror – something he said was his "gravest error."

The defense attorney has also said he will testify about individuals "identified and unidentified" who should come under investigation.

Additional Evidence

Ms Cordingley's partner, the witness, whom authorities quickly ruled out as a possible suspect, was one who gave evidence last week.

The trial heard he was an initial police suspect – and that he had been interrogated from Ms Cordingley's father about whether he was involved in his girlfriend's vanishing, even before her remains were found.

Photographs showing Mr Heidenreich on a walk with a companion on the date Ms Cordingley disappeared have been shown to the court, with an specialist saying he was certain the photos were authentic and had not been altered in any manner.

The trial will return to the standard environment of the courtroom on the next day.

Brian Jones
Brian Jones

Lena Hofmann ist eine preisgekrönte Journalistin mit über zehn Jahren Erfahrung in der politischen Berichterstattung und investigativen Recherche.