Panel of Jurors in High-Profile Down Under Murder Trial Tours Shoreline Where Victim Was Found

Members of the jury overseeing a high-profile Queensland murder trial have been taken to the isolated beach where the young woman was located.

Toyah Cordingley was multiple times attacked with a sharp object and placed in a sandy resting place with little or no chance of survival, the jury has heard.

Her body were discovered by her father the next day on Wangetti Beach – a section of coastline nestled between the popular destinations of Cairns and Port Douglas.

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

Court Inspection to Beach

The panel of 10 men and two women plus several back-up jurors attended the location along with the judge and legal counsel on the start of the week local time.

In a acknowledgment of the hot climate and temperatures above 30C, the judge opted for a casual top, athletic wear and trainers rather than traditional court attire.

Both the prosecuting and defense attorneys selected polo shirts, bottoms and headwear.

Scene Details

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

Earlier, as they arrived by bus, several markers showed where the vehicle had been parked.

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

Context of the Case

Previously, the Cairns Supreme Court heard that the day after Ms Cordingley's body were found, the accused flew from Australia to India – leaving behind his spouse, three children and parents.

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

State Argument

It is claimed 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 all her other clothes and most of her possessions absent.

Those objects were removed by the assailant to avoid detection, prosecutors contend.

Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had brought along for a walk, was found secured to a post hidden in shrubland about 30 metres from the grave.

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

But the prosecution says the evidence – though indirect – was comprised proof that indicated Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."

This will involve testimony that DNA recovered from a object at the scene was extremely more likely to have come from Mr Singh than a random member of the public.

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 vehicle belonging to the accused.

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

Defense Position

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

The defence is yet to provided testimony, but in his opening address, Mr Singh's barrister the lawyer described his defendant as a "calm" and "compassionate" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the wrong time."

He also hinted at testimony to come subsequently that, after his arrest, Mr Singh informed an plainclothes agent he had witnessed assailants assault Ms Cordingley and then had fled in terror – something he said was his "gravest error."

The defense attorney has also said he will testify about individuals "identified and unidentified" who should come under suspicion.

Further Evidence

Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, Marco Heidenreich, whom authorities excluded as a person of interest, was one who gave evidence previously.

The court heard he was an initial person of interest – and that he had been interrogated from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was involved in his partner's vanishing, even before her remains were discovered.

Images depicting Mr Heidenreich on a walk with a companion on the day Ms Cordingley went missing have been presented to the jury, with an expert saying he was certain the pictures were authentic and had not been altered in any manner.

The trial will return to the more conventional setting of the courtroom on Tuesday.