Jury in High-Profile Australian Homicide Case Visits Beach At Which Deceased Was Discovered
Members of the jury involved in a widely publicized Australian murder trial have traveled to the remote shore where the victim was located.
The 24-year-old victim was multiple times attacked with a bladed weapon and buried in a shallow resting place with minimal hope of surviving, the court has been told.
The remains were discovered by her father the following day on Wangetti Beach – a section of shoreline between the tourist centres of Cairns and Port Douglas.
The accused, 41, denies killing Ms Cordingley on a weekend in October 2018 in Far North Queensland.
Court Visit to Crime Scene
The jury of 10 men and two women plus several back-up jurors visited the location along with the judge and legal counsel on the start of the week in Queensland.
In a acknowledgment of the hot climate and sweltering heat, Justice Lincoln Crowley wore a T-shirt, sport shorts and sneakers rather than a wig and robes.
Both the prosecuting and defence barristers selected casual shirts, bottoms and headwear.
Scene Particulars
The jurors were led around three-quarters of a mile along the beach to see where Ms Cordingley's body were uncovered.
Earlier, as they arrived by bus, several red and white cones showed where the vehicle had been parked.
The trip was designed to help the panel become acquainted with key locations in the case and no testimony was presented.
Context of the Case
Last week, the Cairns Supreme Court was informed that the following day Ms Cordingley's body were discovered, Mr Singh flew from Australia to India – abandoning his spouse, family and relatives.
He was not heard from until he was apprehended four years later, the prosecution said.
Prosecution Case
It is claimed that Mr Singh, who was employed in healthcare in the town of Innisfail, south of Cairns, had a altercation with Ms Cordingley.
The victim was discovered wearing a bikini, with her attire and belongings absent.
Those objects were removed by the assailant to conceal evidence, the prosecution contend.
Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a walk, was found secured to a tree hidden in bushland about 30 metres from the burial site.
The weapon was found, and no one have been identified.
But the state says the crown's case – though circumstantial – was comprised findings that indicated Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."
This will include testimony that DNA obtained from a stick at the location was 3.8 billion times more probable to have originated from Mr Singh than a unrelated individual of the public.
The jury has already heard evidence suggesting that Ms Cordingley's phone departed the scene after the killing – and that its travel matched those of a blue Alfa Romeo belonging to the defendant.
Mr Singh's sudden departure from Australia also suggested his guilt, the state has argued.
Defense Stance
"While authorities were finding Toyah's body, he was arranging... a hurriedly arranged single journey back to India," the prosecutor said previously as he opened his case.
The defence is has not provided testimony, but in his opening address, the defense attorney the lawyer described his defendant as a "placid" and "caring" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the unfortunate moment."
He also hinted at testimony to come later in the trial that, after his apprehension, Mr Singh informed an undercover officer he had witnessed two masked men assault Ms Cordingley and then had run away 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 suspicion.
Additional Evidence
Ms Cordingley's partner, the witness, whom authorities excluded as a possible suspect, was one who testified last week.
The trial heard he was an immediate police suspect – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's father about whether he was implicated in his girlfriend's disappearance, even before her remains were discovered.
Images showing Mr Heidenreich on a hike with a companion on the date Ms Cordingley went missing have been presented to the court, with an specialist saying he was certain the pictures were authentic and had not been doctored in any way.
The case will return to the standard environment of the courthouse on the next day.
