Panel of Jurors in Prominent Down Under Homicide Trial Visits Shoreline At Which Deceased Was Discovered
Members of the jury involved in a high-profile Australian murder trial have been taken to the remote beach where the young woman was discovered.
Toyah Cordingley was repeatedly stabbed with a sharp object and placed in a sandy grave with minimal hope of surviving, the court has heard.
Her body were found by a family member the following day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch 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 weekend in October 2018 in northern Australia.
Court Visit to Crime Scene
The panel of 12 individuals plus three alternates visited the beach along with the presiding officer and legal counsel on the start of the week in Queensland.
In a acknowledgment of the tropical conditions and temperatures above 30C, Justice Lincoln Crowley opted for a casual top, athletic wear and trainers rather than traditional court attire.
Both the prosecuting and defense attorneys chose polo shirts, shorts and headwear.
Scene Details
The court members were led around 1.2km north up the sand to observe where Ms Cordingley's body were discovered.
Upon arrival, as they traveled to the site, four red and white cones indicated where the victim's car had been left.
The visit was intended to help the jurors become acquainted with key locations in the trial and no official evidence was presented.
Background of the Trial
Previously, the Cairns Supreme Court was informed that the day after Ms Cordingley's body were discovered, the accused departed from Australia to India – leaving behind his wife, three children and parents.
He was out of contact until he was apprehended years after, the prosecution said.
State Argument
It is alleged that the defendant, who was employed in healthcare in the community of Innisfail, near Cairns, had a confrontation with Ms Cordingley.
The pharmacy worker was discovered wearing a bikini, with her attire and most of her possessions missing.
Those items were taken by the killer to avoid detection, the prosecution contend.
Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had brought along for a walk, was located tied up to a post concealed in shrubland about 30 metres from the burial site.
The weapon was found, and no one have been identified.
But the prosecution says the evidence – though indirect – was made up of findings that pointed to Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."
This will include evidence that DNA recovered from a object at the scene was extremely more likely to have originated from Mr Singh than a random member of the public.
The court has already heard evidence suggesting that Ms Cordingley's mobile device left the scene after the incident – and that its travel corresponded with those of a blue Alfa Romeo owned by the accused.
Mr Singh's quick exit from Australia also suggested his involvement, the state has claimed.
Defense Position
"As the police were discovering Toyah's remains, he was organizing... a hurriedly arranged one way trip back to India," Mr Crane said last week as he began arguments.
The defence is has not present any evidence, but in his opening address, Mr Singh's barrister Greg McGuire described his client as a "placid" and "caring" man, who was in the "wrong place at the unfortunate moment."
He also foreshadowed testimony to come subsequently that, after his arrest, Mr Singh told an undercover officer he had witnessed assailants attack Ms Cordingley and then had fled in fear – something he said was his "gravest error."
The defense attorney has also said he will testify about other people "identified and unidentified" who should come under investigation.
Additional Evidence
Ms Cordingley's partner, Marco Heidenreich, whom authorities quickly ruled out as a person of interest, was one who gave evidence last week.
The trial was informed he was an initial person of interest – and that he had been interrogated from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was involved in his partner's disappearance, even before her remains were discovered.
Photographs showing Mr Heidenreich on a hike with a companion on the day Ms Cordingley disappeared have been presented to the jury, with an specialist saying he was certain the photos were authentic and had not been altered in any way.
The case will return to the standard environment of the courthouse on the next day.
