Panel of Jurors in Prominent Australian Murder Case Tours Shoreline At Which Deceased Was Found

Wangetti Beach scene
The remains of Toyah Cordingley were found on a secluded beach in Far North Queensland back in 2018.

Members of the jury involved in a widely publicized Australian murder trial have been taken to the remote shore where the victim was discovered.

The 24-year-old victim was multiple times stabbed with a bladed weapon and buried in a sandy grave with little or no chance of survival, the court has heard.

Her body were discovered by her father the next 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 Sunday afternoon in October 2018 in northern Australia.

Jury Inspection to Beach

The panel of 10 men and two women plus several alternates attended the location along with the presiding officer and barristers on Monday morning in Queensland.

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

Both the prosecuting and defence barristers selected polo shirts, bottoms and headwear.

Scene Particulars

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

Upon arrival, as they traveled to the site, four markers indicated where the vehicle had been left.

The trip was intended to help the jurors become familiar with important sites in the trial and no testimony was given.

Background of the Case

Last week, the court heard that the following day Ms Cordingley's remains were found, the accused flew from Australia to India – abandoning 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
Justice Lincoln Crowley with legal representatives and other personnel at Wangetti Beach.

State Case

It is alleged that Mr Singh, who was working as a nurse in the community of Innisfail, near Cairns, had a altercation with Ms Cordingley.

The pharmacy worker was discovered wearing a swimwear, with all her other clothes and most of her possessions absent.

Those objects were taken by the assailant to conceal evidence, the prosecution allege.

Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a walk, was found tied up to a tree hidden in shrubland 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 made up of findings that pointed to Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."

This will involve evidence that DNA obtained from a stick at the location was 3.8 billion times more probable to have come from Mr Singh than a random member of the population.

The court has previously been told evidence indicating that Ms Cordingley's phone left the scene after the incident – and that its travel matched those of a vehicle belonging to the defendant.

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

Defense Stance

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

The defense is has not provided testimony, but in his opening address, the defense attorney the lawyer described his defendant as a "calm" and "compassionate" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the wrong time."

He also foreshadowed evidence to come later in the trial that, after his arrest, Mr Singh told an undercover officer he had seen assailants attack Ms Cordingley and then had run away in fear – something he said was his "gravest error."

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

Further Testimony

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

The court was informed he was an initial person of interest – and that he had been interrogated from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was implicated in his girlfriend's disappearance, prior to her body were discovered.

Images showing the witness on a hike with a friend on the date Ms Cordingley disappeared have been shown to the court, with an expert saying he was certain the photos were authentic and had not been altered in any manner.

The trial will return to the standard environment of the courtroom on the next day.

Wayne Johnson
Wayne Johnson

Elara is a seasoned adventurer and travel writer with a passion for exploring remote landscapes and sharing sustainable travel insights.