Panel of Jurors in Prominent Australian Murder Trial Tours Beach Where Victim Was Found

Wangetti Beach scene
The remains of Toyah Cordingley was discovered on a secluded beach in northern Queensland in 2018.

Members of the jury overseeing a high-profile Queensland homicide case have traveled to the remote shore where the young woman was located.

The 24-year-old victim was repeatedly attacked with a sharp object and placed in a sandy resting place with minimal hope of surviving, the court has heard.

Her body were found by a family member the following day on Wangetti Beach – a section of shoreline between the popular destinations of Cairns and Port Douglas.

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

Court Visit to Beach

The panel of 10 men and two women plus several alternates visited the beach along with the presiding officer and legal counsel on Monday morning in Queensland.

In a nod to the hot climate and temperatures above 30C, Justice Lincoln Crowley opted for a casual top, athletic wear and trainers rather than traditional court attire.

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

Location Particulars

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

Earlier, as they traveled to the site, several markers indicated where the vehicle had been left.

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

Background of the Trial

Last week, the court was informed that the day after Ms Cordingley's body were found, the accused departed from Australia to India – leaving behind his spouse, family and relatives.

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

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

Prosecution Case

It is claimed that Mr Singh, who was employed in healthcare in the town of Innisfail, south of 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 contend.

Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had brought along for a stroll, was located tied up to a tree concealed in bushland about 100 feet from the burial site.

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

But the prosecution says the evidence – though indirect – was comprised proof that pointed to Mr Singh "and eliminated others."

This will include testimony that DNA obtained from a stick at the scene was extremely more likely to have come from Mr Singh than a random member of the population.

The jury has already heard evidence suggesting that Ms Cordingley's mobile device left the scene after the incident – and that its travel matched those of a blue Alfa Romeo owned by the accused.

Mr Singh's quick exit from Australia also pointed to his guilt, the state has argued.

Defense Position

"As the police were discovering Toyah's body, 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, the defense attorney the lawyer described his client as a "placid" and "caring" man, who was in the "wrong place at the unfortunate moment."

He also foreshadowed testimony to come later in the trial that, after his arrest, Mr Singh informed an plainclothes agent he had seen assailants assault Ms Cordingley and then had fled in fear – something he said was his "biggest mistake."

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

Additional Evidence

Ms Cordingley's partner, Marco Heidenreich, whom police excluded as a person of interest, was among those who testified previously.

The trial heard he was an initial police suspect – and that he had been interrogated from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was involved in his partner's disappearance, even before her remains were found.

Photographs depicting Mr Heidenreich on a hike with a friend on the date Ms Cordingley disappeared have been shown to the court, with an specialist saying he was certain the pictures were genuine and had not been doctored in any manner.

The case will return to the standard environment of the courtroom on Tuesday.

Sabrina Anderson
Sabrina Anderson

A passionate writer and life coach dedicated to empowering others through motivational content and practical advice.