Jury in High-Profile Australian Murder Trial Tours Shoreline Where 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 discovered.

Toyah Cordingley was multiple times attacked with a sharp object and buried in a sandy grave with little or no hope of surviving, the court has been told.

The remains were found by her father the following day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch of coastline between the popular destinations of Cairns and Port Douglas.

Rajwinder Singh, 41, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Cordingley on a weekend in October 2018 in Far North Queensland.

Court Visit to Crime Scene

The panel of 10 men and two women plus several alternates visited the beach along with the judge and barristers on Monday morning in Queensland.

In a nod to the tropical conditions and temperatures above 30C, Justice Lincoln Crowley wore a casual top, sport shorts and trainers rather than traditional court attire.

Both the lead prosecution and defence barristers selected casual shirts, bottoms and headwear.

Location Details

The court members were guided around 1.2km along the beach to see where Ms Cordingley's remains were uncovered.

Upon arrival, as they arrived by bus, four markers indicated where the victim's car had been parked.

The trip was designed to help the panel become acquainted with key locations in the case and no official evidence was presented.

Context of the Case

Last week, the Cairns Supreme Court heard that the following day Ms Cordingley's body were discovered, the accused flew from Australia to India – leaving behind his spouse, family and parents.

He was out of contact until he was arrested years after, the prosecution said.

Prosecution Argument

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

The pharmacy worker was found wearing a bikini, with all her other clothes and most of her possessions missing.

Those objects were taken by the assailant to avoid detection, prosecutors allege.

Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a stroll, was found secured to a post concealed in shrubland about 30 metres from the grave.

No murder weapon was found, and no one have been identified.

But the state says the evidence – though indirect – was made up of findings that indicated Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."

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

The court has previously been told testimony suggesting that Ms Cordingley's mobile device departed the scene after the incident – and that its movements corresponded with those of a blue Alfa Romeo owned by the accused.

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

Defence Position

"As the police were discovering Toyah's body, he was organizing... a hurriedly arranged one way trip back to India," Mr Crane said previously as he began arguments.

The defence is yet to provided testimony, but in his initial statement, Mr Singh's barrister Greg McGuire portrayed his defendant as a "calm" and "compassionate" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the unfortunate moment."

He also foreshadowed testimony to come subsequently that, after his apprehension, Mr Singh told an undercover officer he had seen assailants attack Ms Cordingley and then had run away in fear – something he said was his "gravest error."

The defense attorney has also said he will give evidence about other people "both known and unknown" who should come under suspicion.

Additional Evidence

Ms Cordingley's partner, the witness, whom police excluded as a person of interest, was one who testified last week.

The trial was informed he was an initial police suspect – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was implicated in his partner's disappearance, prior to her body were found.

Images depicting Mr Heidenreich on a walk with a companion on the day Ms Cordingley went missing have been presented to the jury, with an specialist saying he was certain the pictures were authentic and had not been doctored in any manner.

The case will resume to the standard environment of the courthouse on the next day.