🔗 Share this article

Jurors overseeing a widely publicized Queensland murder trial have traveled to the isolated beach where the young woman was discovered.

Toyah Cordingley was multiple times attacked with a sharp object and buried in a shallow grave with minimal chance of survival, the court has heard.

The remains were found by a family member the following day on Wangetti Beach – a section of shoreline nestled between the popular destinations of Cairns and Port Douglas.

The accused, 41, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Cordingley on a weekend in October 2018 in northern Australia.

Court Inspection to Crime Scene

The jury of 10 men and two women plus three back-up jurors visited the beach along with the judge and legal counsel on Monday morning local time.

In a nod to the hot climate and sweltering heat, Justice Lincoln Crowley wore a T-shirt, sport shorts and sneakers rather than a wig and robes.

Both the lead prosecution and defense attorneys selected polo 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 body were uncovered.

Earlier, as they traveled to the site, several red and white cones indicated where the vehicle had been left.

The trip was designed to help the jurors become acquainted with key locations in the case and no testimony was given.

Background of the Trial

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

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

Prosecution Case

It is alleged that Mr Singh, who was employed in healthcare 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, prosecutors allege.

Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had brought along for a walk, was located secured to a post hidden in bushland about 30 metres from the burial site.

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

But the state says the evidence – though indirect – was comprised findings that indicated Mr Singh "and eliminated others."

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

The jury has already heard evidence suggesting that Ms Cordingley's mobile device left the scene after the incident – and that its travel matched those of a vehicle belonging to the accused.

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

Defence Position

"As the police were finding Toyah's body, he was organizing... a rushed single journey back to India," Mr Crane said previously as he began arguments.

The defense is yet to present any evidence, but in his opening address, Mr Singh's barrister Greg McGuire portrayed his client as a "calm" and "compassionate" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the unfortunate moment."

He also hinted at testimony to come later in the trial that, after his arrest, Mr Singh told an undercover officer he had witnessed two masked men assault Ms Cordingley and then had fled in fear – something he said was his "biggest mistake."

The defense attorney has also said he will testify about other people "both known and unknown" who should come under investigation.

Additional Evidence

Ms Cordingley's partner, Marco Heidenreich, whom authorities quickly ruled out as a person of interest, was one who gave evidence last week.

The court heard he was an immediate police suspect – 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 discovered.

Images depicting Mr Heidenreich on a hike with a companion on the date Ms Cordingley disappeared have been presented to the jury, with an expert saying he was certain the photos were genuine and had not been altered in any way.

The trial will resume to the standard environment of the courthouse on the next day.