Panel of Jurors in High-Profile Down Under Murder Trial Visits Shoreline Where Deceased Was Found
Members of the jury overseeing a high-profile Queensland murder trial have been taken to the remote shore where the young woman was discovered.
The 24-year-old victim was repeatedly stabbed with a bladed weapon and placed in a shallow grave with little or no hope of surviving, the jury has heard.
The remains were discovered by her father the next day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch of shoreline between the popular destinations of Cairns and Port Douglas.
Rajwinder Singh, 41, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Cordingley on a Sunday afternoon in October 2018 in northern Australia.
Jury Inspection to Crime Scene
The panel of 10 men and two women plus three back-up jurors attended the location along with the presiding officer and legal counsel on the start of the week in Queensland.
In a acknowledgment of the hot climate and sweltering heat, Justice Lincoln Crowley opted for a casual top, athletic wear and trainers rather than a wig and robes.
Both the prosecuting and defense attorneys chose casual shirts, bottoms and headwear.
Scene Details
The court members were guided around 1.2km north up the sand to see where Ms Cordingley's body were uncovered.
Upon arrival, as they traveled to the site, several red and white cones indicated where the vehicle had been left.
The trip was intended to help the panel become acquainted with important sites in the case and no testimony was given.
Background of the Trial
Previously, the court was informed that the following day Ms Cordingley's remains were found, the accused departed from Australia to India – leaving behind his wife, family and parents.
He was out of contact until he was apprehended years after, the prosecution said.
State Argument
It is claimed that the defendant, who was working as a nurse in the town of Innisfail, south of Cairns, had a altercation with Ms Cordingley.
The victim was discovered wearing a bikini, with her attire and belongings absent.
Those objects were taken by the killer to avoid detection, the prosecution allege.
Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had brought along for a stroll, was found secured to a tree hidden in shrubland about 30 metres from the grave.
The weapon was found, and no one have been identified.
But the prosecution says the crown's case – though indirect – was comprised findings that pointed to Mr Singh "and eliminated others."
This will involve testimony that DNA recovered from a stick at the scene was extremely more probable to have originated from Mr Singh than a random member of the population.
The jury has already heard evidence indicating that Ms Cordingley's mobile device left the scene after the killing – and that its travel matched those of a blue Alfa Romeo belonging to the defendant.
Mr Singh's quick exit from Australia also suggested his guilt, the prosecution has claimed.
Defense Position
"As the police were finding Toyah's body, he was organizing... a rushed one way trip back to India," Mr Crane said previously as he began arguments.
The defence is has not present any evidence, but in his initial statement, the defense attorney Greg McGuire portrayed his client as a "calm" and "compassionate" man, who was in the "wrong place at the unfortunate moment."
He also hinted at evidence to come subsequently that, after his apprehension, Mr Singh informed an plainclothes agent he had seen assailants attack Ms Cordingley and then had fled in terror – something he said was his "gravest error."
Mr McGuire has also said he will testify about individuals "both known and unknown" who should come under suspicion.
Additional Testimony
Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, the witness, whom police excluded as a possible suspect, was one who testified last week.
The trial was informed 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 body were found.
Photographs depicting the witness on a hike with a friend on the date Ms Cordingley went missing have been presented to the court, with an expert saying he was certain the pictures were authentic and had not been doctored in any manner.
The trial will resume to the standard environment of the courtroom on Tuesday.