🔗 Share this article

Members of the jury involved in a widely publicized Queensland homicide case have been taken to the isolated beach where the young woman was discovered.

The 24-year-old victim was multiple times attacked with a sharp object and buried in a shallow grave with little or no chance of survival, the court has heard.

Her body were discovered by a family member the following day on Wangetti Beach – a section of shoreline between the tourist centres of Cairns and Port Douglas.

The accused, 41, denies killing Ms Cordingley on a weekend in October 2018 in Far North Queensland.

Jury Visit to Beach

The panel of 10 men and two women plus three alternates attended the beach along with the judge and barristers on the start of the week in Queensland.

In a nod to the hot climate and temperatures above 30C, the judge opted for a casual top, athletic wear and sneakers rather than a wig and robes.

Both the prosecuting and defence barristers chose casual shirts, bottoms and baseball caps.

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 arrived by bus, several red and white cones indicated where the vehicle had been left.

The visit was designed to help the panel become familiar with important sites in the case and no official evidence was given.

Context of the Trial

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

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

State Argument

It is claimed that Mr Singh, who was working as a nurse 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 belongings absent.

Those items were taken by the killer to conceal evidence, the prosecution allege.

Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had brought along for a walk, was found tied up to a post concealed in bushland about 100 feet from the grave.

No murder weapon was ever recovered, and no eyewitnesses have been identified.

But the state says the evidence – though circumstantial – was comprised findings that pointed to Mr Singh "and eliminated others."

This will involve testimony that DNA recovered from a stick at the location was extremely more probable to have originated from Mr Singh than a unrelated individual of the public.

The court has previously been told testimony indicating that Ms Cordingley's phone departed the beach after the killing – and that its movements matched those of a blue Alfa Romeo owned by the accused.

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

Defence Stance

"While authorities were finding Toyah's remains, he was organizing... a rushed one way trip back to India," Mr Crane said previously as he began arguments.

The defense is has not present any evidence, but in his opening address, Mr Singh's barrister the lawyer portrayed his client as a "placid" and "caring" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the wrong time."

He also foreshadowed testimony to come later in the trial that, after his apprehension, Mr Singh told an plainclothes agent he had seen assailants attack Ms Cordingley and then had run away in fear – 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 investigation.

Further Evidence

Ms Cordingley's partner, Marco Heidenreich, whom authorities excluded as a possible suspect, was among those who gave evidence last week.

The court 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, even before her remains were discovered.

Images showing Mr Heidenreich on a walk with a friend on the date Ms Cordingley went missing have been shown to the court, with an expert saying he was confident the pictures were authentic and had not been doctored in any way.

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