Jury in High-Profile Australian Homicide Trial Tours Shoreline At Which Victim Was Discovered

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

Jurors overseeing a high-profile Australian homicide case have traveled to the isolated shore where the young woman was discovered.

The 24-year-old victim was repeatedly stabbed with a bladed weapon and buried in a sandy resting place with minimal hope of surviving, the court has heard.

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

Rajwinder Singh, 41, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Cordingley on a weekend in October 2018 in Far North Queensland.

Court Visit to Beach

The jury of 12 individuals plus several alternates attended the location along with the presiding officer and legal counsel on Monday morning in Queensland.

In a acknowledgment of the tropical conditions and temperatures above 30C, Justice Lincoln Crowley wore a casual top, sport shorts and sneakers rather than traditional court attire.

Both the prosecuting and defence barristers selected casual shirts, shorts and baseball caps.

Location Details

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

Upon arrival, as they arrived by bus, several markers indicated where the vehicle had been left.

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

Context of the Trial

Previously, the Cairns Supreme Court heard that the day after Ms Cordingley's remains were discovered, Mr Singh flew from Australia to India – leaving behind his wife, three children and parents.

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

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

Prosecution 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 pharmacy worker was discovered wearing a swimwear, with her attire and belongings absent.

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

Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a stroll, was found secured to a post concealed in shrubland about 100 feet from the grave.

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

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

This will include testimony that genetic material obtained from a stick at the scene was 3.8 billion times 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 beach after the killing – and that its movements matched those of a blue Alfa Romeo owned by the accused.

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

Defence Position

"As the police were discovering Toyah's remains, he was arranging... a hurriedly arranged single journey back to India," Mr Crane said previously as he began arguments.

The defence is has not provided testimony, but in his initial statement, Mr Singh's barrister the lawyer described his client as a "placid" and "caring" man, who was in the "wrong place at the unfortunate moment."

He also foreshadowed testimony to come subsequently that, after his arrest, Mr Singh informed an plainclothes agent he had seen two masked men 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 other people "both known and unknown" who should come under suspicion.

Additional Testimony

Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, the witness, whom police quickly ruled out as a person of interest, was one who gave evidence previously.

The trial heard he was an immediate person of interest – and that he had been interrogated from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was involved in his girlfriend's vanishing, prior to her remains were found.

Images depicting 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 certain the pictures were genuine and had not been doctored in any manner.

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

William Curtis
William Curtis

A seasoned journalist with a passion for uncovering stories and sharing knowledge on diverse topics.