Panel of Jurors in Prominent Down Under Murder Trial Tours Shoreline Where Deceased Was Discovered
Members of the jury overseeing a high-profile Queensland murder trial have traveled to the isolated beach where the young woman was located.
The 24-year-old victim was multiple times attacked with a sharp object and placed in a sandy resting place with minimal hope of surviving, the court has been told.
The remains were found by her father the following day on Wangetti Beach β a stretch of coastline 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 Far North Queensland.
Jury Inspection to Beach
The panel of 12 individuals plus several alternates attended the location along with the judge and legal counsel on Monday morning local time.
In a acknowledgment of the hot climate and temperatures above 30C, Justice Lincoln Crowley opted for a T-shirt, athletic wear and trainers rather than traditional court attire.
Both the lead prosecution and defence barristers selected casual shirts, bottoms and headwear.
Scene Details
The jurors were guided around 1.2km north up the sand to see where Ms Cordingley's remains were uncovered.
Earlier, as they arrived by bus, several red and white cones indicated where the vehicle had been parked.
The visit was intended to help the panel become familiar with key locations in the case and no official evidence was given.
Context of the Case
Previously, the court was informed that the following day Ms Cordingley's body were found, the accused departed from Australia to India β leaving behind his spouse, family and parents.
He was not heard from 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 community of Innisfail, south of Cairns, had a altercation with Ms Cordingley.
The pharmacy worker was discovered wearing a swimwear, with her attire and belongings missing.
Those items were taken by the killer to conceal evidence, prosecutors allege.
Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a walk, was found tied up to a post hidden in shrubland about 100 feet from the burial site.
No murder weapon was ever recovered, and no one have been identified.
But the prosecution says the crown's case β though indirect β was comprised proof that pointed to Mr Singh "and eliminated others."
This will involve testimony that genetic material recovered from a stick at the scene was extremely more likely to have come from Mr Singh than a random member of the population.
The court has already heard evidence suggesting that Ms Cordingley's mobile device departed the scene after the incident β and that its movements matched those of a vehicle belonging to the defendant.
Mr Singh's sudden departure from Australia also pointed to his involvement, the prosecution has argued.
Defence Stance
"While authorities were discovering Toyah's remains, he was organizing... a hurriedly arranged single journey back to India," Mr Crane said previously as he opened his case.
The defence is yet to present any evidence, but in his initial statement, Mr Singh's barrister the lawyer portrayed his client as a "calm" and "caring" man, who was in the "wrong place at the unfortunate moment."
He also foreshadowed evidence to come subsequently that, after his arrest, Mr Singh informed an plainclothes agent he had seen assailants attack Ms Cordingley and then had fled in terror β something he said was his "biggest mistake."
The defense attorney has also said he will give evidence about individuals "identified and unidentified" who should come under investigation.
Further Testimony
Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, Marco Heidenreich, whom authorities quickly ruled out as a person of interest, was one who gave evidence previously.
The trial was informed he was an initial person of interest β and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's father about whether he was involved in his girlfriend's disappearance, even before her remains were discovered.
Images showing Mr Heidenreich on a hike with a friend on the date Ms Cordingley disappeared have been presented to the jury, with an expert saying he was confident the pictures were authentic and had not been altered in any manner.
The case will resume to the more conventional setting of the courthouse on Tuesday.