Panel of Jurors in Prominent Down Under Homicide Case Tours Shoreline At Which Deceased Was Discovered

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

Members of the jury overseeing a high-profile Australian homicide case have traveled to the isolated shore where the victim was located.

Toyah Cordingley was repeatedly stabbed with a sharp object and buried in a shallow resting place with minimal chance of survival, the jury has heard.

Her body were found by her father the next day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch of coastline nestled between the tourist centres of Cairns and Port Douglas.

The accused, 41, has pleaded not guilty to killing Ms Cordingley on a Sunday afternoon in October 2018 in Far North Queensland.

Court Inspection to Crime Scene

The jury of 10 men and two women plus three alternates attended the location along with the presiding officer and barristers on the start of the week in Queensland.

In a nod to the hot climate and sweltering heat, Justice Lincoln Crowley wore a casual top, athletic wear and trainers rather than a wig and robes.

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

Scene Particulars

The court members were led around three-quarters of a mile north up the sand to see where Ms Cordingley's remains were uncovered.

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

The visit was designed to help the jurors become familiar with key locations in the case and no testimony was presented.

Context of the Case

Last week, the Cairns Supreme Court heard that the following day Ms Cordingley's remains were found, Mr Singh departed from Australia to India – abandoning his wife, family and relatives.

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

Court officials at the beach
Justice Lincoln Crowley with barristers and other personnel at Wangetti Beach.

State Case

It is alleged that Mr Singh, who was working as a nurse in the community of Innisfail, south of Cairns, had a confrontation with Ms Cordingley.

The victim was found wearing a bikini, with her attire and most of her possessions absent.

Those items were taken by the killer 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 hidden in shrubland about 30 metres from the grave.

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

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

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

The court has previously been told evidence suggesting that Ms Cordingley's mobile device departed the scene after the killing – and that its travel corresponded with those of a vehicle belonging to the defendant.

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

Defence Stance

"As the police were finding Toyah's remains, he was arranging... a hurriedly arranged one way trip back to India," the prosecutor said last week as he began arguments.

The defense is yet to provided testimony, but in his initial statement, Mr Singh's barrister the lawyer described his client as a "placid" and "compassionate" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the unfortunate moment."

He also foreshadowed evidence to come subsequently that, after his arrest, Mr Singh told an undercover officer he had witnessed two masked men assault Ms Cordingley and then had run away in terror – something he said was his "gravest error."

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

Additional Testimony

Ms Cordingley's partner, the witness, whom authorities excluded as a possible suspect, was among those who testified last week.

The trial heard he was an immediate person of interest – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's father about whether he was implicated in his partner's disappearance, even before her body were found.

Photographs depicting Mr Heidenreich on a walk with a friend 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 altered in any way.

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

Kim Houston
Kim Houston

A tech enthusiast and seasoned reviewer with a passion for uncovering the best products through rigorous testing and analysis.