Jurors in a high-profile Australian murder trial have been taken to the remote Queensland beach where the victim, Toyah Cordingley, was found.
Cordingley was repeatedly stabbed with a sharp object and buried in a shallow grave, with evidence suggesting she had little or no hope of survival. Accused Rajwinder Singh, 41, denies murdering the 24-year-old on an afternoon in October 2018.
Her body was discovered by her father the following day on Wangetti Beach, located between Cairns and Port Douglas.
The jury, consisting of ten men and two women, was accompanied by the judge and barristers this Monday morning as the second week of the trial began. The beach visit aimed at helping jurors understand key locations in the case, though no official evidence was presented during the trip.
Evidence heard thus far indicates that the day after Cordingley’s body was discovered, Singh fled Australia for India, leaving behind his wife and children. No eyewitnesses or murder weapon have been recovered, but the prosecution claims DNA evidence and other circumstantial findings point to Singh's guilt.
As the case unfolds, the defense maintains that Singh is innocent and that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The jurors will return to the courtroom on Tuesday for further proceedings.
