🔗 Share this article

Jurors overseeing a high-profile Australian murder trial have traveled to the remote shore where the victim was located.

Toyah Cordingley was repeatedly attacked with a sharp object and placed in a sandy resting place with minimal chance of survival, the court has heard.

The remains were found by a family member the next day on Wangetti Beach – a section of shoreline 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 northern Australia.

Jury Visit to Crime Scene

The panel of 12 individuals plus three back-up jurors visited the location along with the presiding officer and barristers on Monday morning in Queensland.

In a acknowledgment of the hot climate and sweltering heat, Justice Lincoln Crowley opted for a casual top, sport shorts and trainers rather than traditional court attire.

Both the prosecuting and defense attorneys chose casual shirts, bottoms and headwear.

Location Particulars

The jurors were guided around three-quarters of a mile along the beach to see where Ms Cordingley's body were uncovered.

Earlier, as they arrived by bus, several red and white cones showed where the vehicle had been left.

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

Background of the Trial

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

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

State Argument

It is claimed that Mr Singh, who was working as a nurse in the town of Innisfail, near Cairns, had a confrontation with Ms Cordingley.

The pharmacy worker was found wearing a bikini, with her attire and belongings absent.

Those items were taken by the killer to avoid detection, the prosecution allege.

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

No murder weapon was found, and no one have been identified.

But the state says the crown's case – though circumstantial – was comprised proof that pointed to Mr Singh "and eliminated others."

This will involve evidence that genetic material obtained from a stick at the location was extremely more probable to have originated from Mr Singh than a unrelated individual of the population.

The court has already heard testimony suggesting that Ms Cordingley's phone left the scene after the incident – and that its travel corresponded with those of a blue Alfa Romeo owned by the defendant.

Mr Singh's sudden departure from Australia also suggested his involvement, the state has argued.

Defence Stance

"While authorities were finding Toyah's body, he was arranging... a hurriedly arranged one way trip back to India," Mr Crane said last week as he opened his case.

The defense is yet to present any evidence, but in his initial statement, the defense attorney the lawyer portrayed his defendant as a "calm" and "compassionate" man, who was in the "wrong place at the unfortunate moment."

He also foreshadowed evidence to come later in the trial that, after his arrest, Mr Singh told an undercover officer he had witnessed assailants assault Ms Cordingley and then had fled in terror – something he said was his "biggest mistake."

Mr McGuire has also said he will testify about individuals "identified and unidentified" who should come under investigation.

Further Evidence

Ms Cordingley's partner, the witness, whom police quickly ruled out as a possible suspect, was among those who testified 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 involved in his girlfriend's disappearance, even before her remains were found.

Photographs depicting the witness on a hike with a companion on the day Ms Cordingley went missing have been presented to the jury, with an expert saying he was confident the photos were genuine and had not been doctored in any manner.

The case will resume to the more conventional setting of the courthouse on the next day.