Jury in Prominent Down Under Murder Trial Tours Beach Where Victim Was Found

Wangetti Beach scene
The remains of Toyah Cordingley were found on a remote coastline in northern Queensland in 2018.

Members of the jury involved in a high-profile Queensland homicide case have been taken to the remote beach where the victim was located.

The 24-year-old victim was multiple times stabbed with a bladed weapon and buried in a sandy grave with minimal hope of surviving, the court has been told.

The remains were found by her father the following day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch of shoreline between the tourist centres of Cairns and Port Douglas.

Rajwinder Singh, 41, denies murdering Ms Cordingley on a weekend in October 2018 in Far North Queensland.

Court Visit to Beach

The jury of 12 individuals plus several back-up jurors attended the beach along with the presiding officer and barristers on Monday morning in Queensland.

In a acknowledgment of the tropical conditions and sweltering heat, Justice Lincoln Crowley opted for a casual top, athletic wear and sneakers rather than traditional court attire.

Both the lead prosecution and defense attorneys selected casual shirts, shorts and baseball caps.

Scene Details

The jurors were led around three-quarters of a mile along the beach 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 parked.

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

Background of the Case

Last week, the court was informed that the following day Ms Cordingley's remains were found, Mr Singh flew from Australia to India – abandoning his wife, family and relatives.

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

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

Prosecution Case

It is claimed that Mr Singh, who was employed in healthcare in the community of Innisfail, south of Cairns, had a altercation with Ms Cordingley.

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

Those objects were removed by the killer to conceal evidence, prosecutors allege.

Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a walk, was located tied up to a post concealed in bushland about 30 metres from the burial site.

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

But the state says the crown's case – though circumstantial – was made up of proof that pointed to Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."

This will include evidence that DNA obtained from a object at the scene was extremely more likely to have come from Mr Singh than a unrelated individual of the population.

The jury has already heard testimony indicating that Ms Cordingley's mobile device departed the scene after the killing – and that its movements matched those of a blue Alfa Romeo belonging to the defendant.

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

Defence Stance

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

The defence is yet to present any evidence, but in his initial statement, Mr Singh's barrister the lawyer portrayed his defendant as a "placid" and "compassionate" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the wrong time."

He also foreshadowed evidence to come subsequently that, after his arrest, Mr Singh told an undercover officer he had seen assailants assault Ms Cordingley and then had fled in fear – 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 Testimony

Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, Marco Heidenreich, whom authorities quickly ruled out as a possible suspect, was among those who testified last week.

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

Images depicting the witness on a walk with a friend on the date Ms Cordingley disappeared have been presented to the jury, with an specialist saying he was confident the pictures were genuine and had not been doctored in any way.

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

Michael Martin
Michael Martin

A seasoned gaming enthusiast with over a decade of experience in reviewing online casinos and advocating for responsible gambling practices.