In a significant development in the high-profile murder trial of Toyah Cordingley, jurors were taken to the remote Wangetti Beach in northern Queensland, where the 24-year-old’s body was discovered in 2018. The visit aimed to familiarize the jury with key locations in the case, though no official evidence was presented during the trip. The jury, consisting of ten men and two women, along with three backup jurors, accompanied the judge and barristers to the site, marking the second week of the trial. The tropical conditions prompted an unusual courtroom attire, with Justice Lincoln Crowley opting for a T-shirt, sports shorts, and trainers instead of traditional robes. The prosecution alleges that Rajwinder Singh, a 41-year-old former nurse, repeatedly stabbed Ms. Cordingley with a sharp object and buried her in a shallow grave, leaving her with ‘little or no hope of surviving.’ Singh, who fled to India shortly after the murder, denies the charges. The prosecution has presented circumstantial evidence, including DNA from a stick at the scene, which is 3.8 billion times more likely to belong to Singh than a random individual. Additionally, the movements of Ms. Cordingley’s phone after the killing reportedly matched those of Singh’s blue Alfa Romeo. The defense has yet to present its case but has described Singh as a ‘placid’ and ‘caring’ man who was in the ‘wrong place at the wrong time.’ The trial is set to resume in the conventional courtroom setting on Tuesday.
