Panel of Jurors in Prominent Down Under Homicide Trial Visits Shoreline At Which Deceased Was Found

Wangetti Beach scene
The body of Toyah Cordingley were found on a secluded coastline in Far North Queensland back in 2018.

Jurors overseeing a widely publicized Queensland murder trial have traveled to the remote beach where the young woman was discovered.

The 24-year-old victim was repeatedly stabbed with a sharp object and buried in a sandy resting place with minimal hope of surviving, the court has been told.

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

Rajwinder Singh, 41, denies killing Ms Cordingley on a weekend in October 2018 in northern Australia.

Court Visit to Beach

The jury of 10 men and two women plus several back-up jurors visited the location along with the presiding officer and barristers on the start of the week in Queensland.

In a nod to the tropical conditions and sweltering heat, the judge wore a T-shirt, athletic wear and sneakers rather than traditional court attire.

Both the lead prosecution and defence barristers chose polo shirts, shorts and baseball caps.

Location Particulars

The jurors were led around 1.2km along the beach to observe where Ms Cordingley's body were discovered.

Upon arrival, as they arrived by bus, several red and white cones indicated where the vehicle had been left.

The visit was designed to help the panel become familiar with key locations in the trial and no official evidence was given.

Context of the Case

Previously, the court heard that the following day Ms Cordingley's body were found, Mr Singh departed from Australia to India – leaving behind his wife, family and parents.

He was not heard from until he was apprehended four years later, the state said.

Court officials at the beach
The judge with barristers and other personnel at Wangetti Beach.

State Case

It is claimed that Mr Singh, who was working as a nurse in the town of Innisfail, near Cairns, had a confrontation with Ms Cordingley.

The pharmacy worker was discovered wearing a bikini, with her attire and belongings missing.

Those objects were taken by the killer to conceal evidence, prosecutors contend.

Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had brought along for a stroll, was located tied up to a post concealed in bushland about 30 metres from the grave.

The weapon was found, and no one have been found.

But the state says the crown's case – though circumstantial – was comprised proof that pointed to Mr Singh "and eliminated others."

This will involve evidence that DNA recovered from a stick at the location was 3.8 billion times more likely to have come from Mr Singh than a random member of the population.

The jury has previously been told evidence indicating that Ms Cordingley's phone left the beach after the incident – and that its movements corresponded with those of a blue Alfa Romeo belonging to the accused.

Mr Singh's sudden departure from Australia also pointed to his involvement, the state has argued.

Defence Stance

"While authorities were discovering Toyah's remains, he was arranging... a hurriedly arranged one way trip back to India," the prosecutor said last week as he opened his case.

The defence is yet to present any evidence, but in his opening address, the defense attorney Greg McGuire portrayed 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 plainclothes agent he had seen assailants attack Ms Cordingley and then had fled in fear – something he said was his "biggest mistake."

The defense attorney has also said he will testify about individuals "identified and unidentified" who should come under investigation.

Additional Evidence

Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, the witness, whom police quickly ruled out as a possible suspect, was one who gave evidence last week.

The court 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, prior to her body were discovered.

Photographs showing the witness on a hike with a companion on the date Ms Cordingley disappeared have been shown to the court, with an expert saying he was certain the pictures were authentic and had not been doctored in any way.

The case will return to the more conventional setting of the courtroom on Tuesday.

Kristen Nelson
Kristen Nelson

Lena is a passionate gamer and strategy expert, sharing insights from years of experience in competitive gaming communities.