Trial Unfolds for Alleged Wangetti Beach Murder
The Supreme Court trial into the murder of Queensland woman Toyah Cordingley has entered its second day in Cairns, with the jury hearing horrific details of the alleged crime. Rajwinder Singh, a 41-year-old former nurse, has pleaded not guilty to murdering the 24-year-old in October 2018.
A Father's Tragic Discovery
The court was told that Cordingley had been exercising with her dog, Indie, on the idyllic Wangetti Beach south of Port Douglas when she was violently killed. Her father, Troy Cordingley, made the devastating discovery of her body buried in a shallow sand grave after she failed to return home. Her dog was found unharmed and tied to a tree approximately 30 metres inland from the crime scene.
Forensic Evidence and a Global Witness List
Jurors, comprising ten men and two women, heard the gruesome specifics of the injuries inflicted upon Cordingley. The court was told she suffered multiple stab wounds, defensive wounds, and a cut throat. While the murder weapon has never been found, the prosecution presented compelling DNA evidence. A partial DNA profile recovered from a stick at the scene was stated to be 3.8 billion times more likely to have come from Singh than from another member of the public.
On Monday, Singh's interaction with the court was brief, uttering just four words: "not guilty your honour". The trial, which is expected to last for three weeks, is set to hear from around 500 witnesses from around the world, including Toyah Cordingley's parents.
