Jury in Prominent Australian Homicide Case Visits Shoreline At Which Victim Was Discovered
Jurors overseeing a widely publicized Queensland homicide case have been taken to the isolated shore where the young woman was located.
The 24-year-old victim was repeatedly attacked with a bladed weapon and placed in a shallow resting place with minimal hope of surviving, the court has heard.
The remains were discovered by her father the next day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch of shoreline 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 panel of 12 individuals plus three back-up jurors visited the location along with the presiding officer and legal counsel on Monday morning local time.
In a acknowledgment of the hot climate and sweltering heat, Justice Lincoln Crowley wore a T-shirt, athletic wear and sneakers rather than a wig and robes.
Both the lead prosecution and defense attorneys chose polo shirts, shorts and baseball caps.
Location Details
The court members were guided around three-quarters of a mile along the beach to observe where Ms Cordingley's body were discovered.
Upon arrival, as they traveled to the site, several red and white cones indicated where the vehicle had been left.
The trip was intended to help the jurors become acquainted with important sites in the case and no testimony was presented.
Background of the Case
Last week, the court was informed that the day after Ms Cordingley's remains were found, the accused flew from Australia to India – abandoning his wife, three children and parents.
He was out of contact 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 town of Innisfail, near Cairns, had a altercation with Ms Cordingley.
The victim was discovered wearing a bikini, with her attire 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 brought along for a walk, was located secured to a tree concealed in bushland about 100 feet from the burial site.
The weapon was found, and no eyewitnesses have been identified.
But the state says the crown's case – though indirect – was comprised proof that pointed to Mr Singh "and eliminated others."
This will involve testimony that DNA recovered from a object at the location was extremely more probable 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 killing – and that its movements matched those of a vehicle belonging to the accused.
Mr Singh's quick exit from Australia also pointed to his guilt, the prosecution has claimed.
Defence Position
"As the police were discovering Toyah's body, he was organizing... a hurriedly arranged single journey back to India," Mr Crane said last week as he began arguments.
The defense is has not provided testimony, but in his opening address, Mr Singh's barrister Greg McGuire described his defendant as a "placid" and "caring" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the unfortunate moment."
He also foreshadowed evidence to come subsequently that, after his arrest, Mr Singh informed an plainclothes agent he had witnessed assailants attack 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 other people "both known and unknown" who should come under suspicion.
Further Evidence
Ms Cordingley's partner, Marco Heidenreich, whom police quickly ruled out as a possible suspect, was one who gave evidence previously.
The trial heard he was an initial police suspect – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was involved in his partner's disappearance, even before her remains were found.
Images showing the witness on a walk with a companion on the day Ms Cordingley disappeared have been shown to the court, with an specialist saying he was confident the photos were authentic and had not been altered in any manner.
The case will return to the more conventional setting of the courtroom on the next day.
