Jury in High-Profile Down Under Murder Case Visits Shoreline At Which Victim Was Discovered

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

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

Toyah Cordingley was repeatedly attacked with a sharp object and placed in a shallow grave with little or no hope of surviving, the jury has heard.

The remains were discovered by a family member the following day on Wangetti Beach – a section of shoreline between the popular destinations of Cairns and Port Douglas.

The accused, 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 attended the beach along with the presiding officer and barristers on the start of the week local time.

In a acknowledgment of the hot climate and temperatures above 30C, Justice Lincoln Crowley wore a T-shirt, athletic wear and sneakers rather than traditional court attire.

Both the lead prosecution and defense attorneys selected polo shirts, bottoms and baseball caps.

Scene Particulars

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

Upon arrival, as they traveled to the site, several red and white cones showed where the vehicle had been left.

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

Context of the Case

Last week, the court was informed that the following day Ms Cordingley's remains were discovered, Mr Singh flew from Australia to India – leaving behind his wife, three children and parents.

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

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

State Case

It is alleged that the defendant, who was working as a nurse in the community of Innisfail, near Cairns, had a altercation with Ms Cordingley.

The victim was found wearing a swimwear, with her attire and belongings missing.

Those objects were removed by the assailant to conceal evidence, the prosecution allege.

Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a walk, was located tied up to a tree concealed in bushland about 30 metres 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 made up of findings that pointed to Mr Singh "and eliminated others."

This will involve evidence that DNA recovered from a stick at the location was extremely more likely to have originated from Mr Singh than a random member of the public.

The jury has previously been told testimony indicating that Ms Cordingley's phone left the beach after the incident – and that its travel corresponded with those of a vehicle owned by the accused.

Mr Singh's quick exit from Australia also suggested his involvement, the state has claimed.

Defense Position

"As the police were finding Toyah's remains, he was arranging... a hurriedly arranged one way trip back to India," Mr Crane said previously as he opened his case.

The defense is yet to present any evidence, but in his opening address, Mr Singh's barrister Greg McGuire portrayed his defendant as a "calm" and "caring" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the wrong time."

He also foreshadowed evidence to come later in the trial that, after his apprehension, Mr Singh told an plainclothes agent he had seen two masked men assault Ms Cordingley and then had fled in terror – something he said was his "biggest mistake."

Mr McGuire has also said he will give evidence about individuals "both known and unknown" who should come under suspicion.

Additional Evidence

Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, Marco Heidenreich, whom police quickly ruled out as a possible suspect, was among those who gave evidence previously.

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

Photographs showing Mr Heidenreich on a walk with a friend on the day Ms Cordingley disappeared have been presented to the court, with an expert saying he was confident the pictures were authentic and had not been doctored in any manner.

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

Heidi Porter
Heidi Porter

Interior designer and home decor enthusiast with over 10 years of experience, sharing practical tips and creative ideas.