Jury in Prominent Australian Murder Trial Visits Beach Where Deceased Was Found

Jurors overseeing a high-profile Australian homicide case have traveled to the remote shore where the victim was located.

The 24-year-old victim was multiple times attacked with a sharp object and placed in a sandy resting place with minimal chance of survival, the court has been told.

Her body were found by a family member the next day on Wangetti Beach – a section of coastline nestled between the tourist centres of Cairns and Port Douglas.

The accused, 41, denies murdering Ms Cordingley on a Sunday afternoon in October 2018 in northern Australia.

Jury Inspection to Beach

The panel of 10 men and two women plus three back-up jurors visited the beach along with the judge and barristers on Monday morning in Queensland.

In a nod to the tropical conditions and sweltering heat, Justice Lincoln Crowley opted for a T-shirt, athletic wear and sneakers rather than a wig and robes.

Both the prosecuting and defence barristers selected polo shirts, shorts and baseball caps.

Location Details

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

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

The visit was intended to help the panel become acquainted with important sites in the case and no official evidence was given.

Context of the Case

Previously, the Cairns Supreme Court heard that the day after Ms Cordingley's body were discovered, Mr Singh departed from Australia to India – leaving behind his wife, three children and parents.

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

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 victim was found wearing a swimwear, with all her other clothes and belongings missing.

Those objects were taken by the assailant to avoid detection, the prosecution contend.

Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had brought along for a walk, was found tied up to a tree hidden in shrubland about 30 metres from the grave.

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

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

This will include evidence that DNA obtained from a object 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 indicating that Ms Cordingley's mobile device departed the scene after the incident – and that its travel corresponded with those of a blue Alfa Romeo owned by the accused.

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

Defence Stance

"As the police were discovering Toyah's remains, he was organizing... a rushed one way trip back to India," Mr Crane said last week as he opened his case.

The defense is has not present any evidence, but in his initial statement, Mr Singh's barrister Greg McGuire portrayed his client as a "placid" and "compassionate" man, who was in the "wrong place at the unfortunate moment."

He also hinted at testimony to come subsequently that, after his apprehension, Mr Singh told an plainclothes agent he had seen two masked men 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 Testimony

Ms Cordingley's partner, the witness, whom police quickly ruled out as a person of interest, was among those who gave evidence previously.

The court was informed he was an immediate police suspect – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was involved in his girlfriend's disappearance, prior to her remains were discovered.

Images showing the witness on a hike with a companion on the date 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 courtroom on Tuesday.