Jury discharged in high-profile Australia beach murder
A jury in the trial of a former nurse accused of murdering a woman on a remote Australian beach has been discharged, after they could not reach a verdict.
Toyah Cordingley was stabbed at least 26 times while out walking her dog in October 2018.
The 24-year-old’s body was discovered by her father, half-buried in sand dunes on Wangetti beach between the popular tourist hotspots of Cairns and Port Douglas.
Rajwinder Singh, 40, who travelled to India the day after Ms Cordingley’s body was found, was charged with murder. He was arrested and then extradited to Australia in 2023.
But jurors at Cairns Supreme Court said they were deadlocked, and unable to reach a unanimous decision on his guilt after two-and-half days of deliberations. The judge thanked the jury for their “diligence”.
Under Queensland law, jury verdicts in murder cases must be unanimous. So Mr Singh will face another trial.
Originally from Buttar Kalan in the Indian state of Punjab, Mr Singh had been living in Innisfail at the time of the killing, a town about two hours south from the crime scene.
Prosecutors said they did not have a motive for the killing of Ms Cordingley – a health store worker and animal shelter volunteer – and there was no evidence of a sexual assault.
The trial at Cairns Supreme court heard that DNA highly likely to be Mr Singh’s was discovered on a stick in the victim’s grave.
Data from mobile phone towers also suggested Ms Cordingley’s phone had moved in a similar pattern to Mr Singh’s blue Alfa Romeo car on the day the victim went missing.
The prosecution also suggested the hurried way Mr Singh left Australia without saying goodbye to his family or colleagues pointed to his guilt.
Mr Singh had denied murder – and had told an undercover police officer he had seen the killing, then left the country, leaving behind his wife and children because he feared for his own life.
His defence lawyer said he was “a coward” but not a killer, and accused police of a “flawed” investigation that did not look sufficiently at other possible suspects.
They said DNA found at the scene, including on the victim’s discarded selfie stick, did not match Mr Singh’s profile.
“There is an unknown person’s DNA at that grave site,” defence barrister Angus Edwards told the jury.
In a recent development, the jury in the murder trial of Rajwinder Singh, accused of killing 24-year-old Toyah Cordingley at Wangetti Beach in Queensland, has been discharged after failing to reach a unanimous verdict. After deliberating for two and a half days, the jury informed Justice James Henry that they were deadlocked and could not agree on a decision.
The trial, which spanned 12 days, included testimonies from over 70 witnesses. The prosecution’s case was largely circumstantial, focusing on the movements of Singh’s vehicle and DNA evidence. Singh, who fled to India following Ms. Cordingley’s death and was later extradited back to Australia, claimed he witnessed the murder and fled out of fear.
Given the jury’s inability to reach a verdict, Justice Henry has scheduled a mention for a retrial on March 26, 2025. This allows time to coordinate with legal representatives and witnesses for the upcoming proceedings. As the case remains active, no further comments have been made by the involved parties.
The jury in the high-profile trial of Rajwinder Singh, accused of murdering Toyah Cordingley at Wangetti Beach in Queensland in 2018, has been discharged after failing to reach a unanimous verdict.
Case Background
- Victim: Toyah Cordingley, a 24-year-old pharmacy worker, was found dead in sand dunes at Wangetti Beach, north of Cairns, in October 2018.
- Suspect: Rajwinder Singh, an Indian-born nurse, fled to India shortly after the murder and was extradited back to Australia in 2023 to face trial.
- Trial Duration: The 12-day trial involved more than 70 witnesses, including forensic experts and investigators.
Why Was the Jury Discharged?
- After two and a half days of deliberation, the jury informed Justice James Henry that they were deadlocked and could not agree on a verdict.
- The judge determined that no further deliberation would resolve the issue and discharged them.
Key Arguments in the Trial
Prosecution’s Case:
- Singh’s DNA was found under Cordingley’s fingernails.
- Singh’s movements, including leaving Australia shortly after the murder, raised suspicion.
- Evidence suggested Singh had scratch marks on his face, possibly from a struggle.
Defense’s Case:
- Singh denied killing Cordingley, claiming he witnessed the murder and fled out of fear.
- His lawyers argued that the DNA evidence was inconclusive and did not prove he committed the crime.
- Singh said he left Australia due to family issues, not because he was guilty.
What Happens Next?
- A mention hearing for a retrial is set for March 26, 2025.
- The prosecution will decide whether to pursue another trial.
- Singh remains in custody while legal proceedings continue.
This case has received widespread attention due to the brutal nature of the crime, the suspect fleeing overseas, and the challenges in securing a verdict.
The jury in the murder trial of Rajwinder Singh, accused of killing Toyah Cordingley at Wangetti Beach in Queensland, has been discharged after failing to reach a unanimous verdict.
Background of the Case:
- Incident Date: October 21, 2018.
- Victim: Toyah Cordingley, a 24-year-old health store worker and animal shelter volunteer.
- Location: Wangetti Beach, a secluded area north of Cairns, Queensland.
- Discovery: Ms. Cordingley’s body was found buried in a shallow grave near a sand dune the morning after she went to the beach to walk her dog.
Trial Details:
- Duration: The trial lasted 12 days, during which more than 70 witnesses were called to testify.
- Evidence Presented:
- Prosecution: Relied on circumstantial evidence, including the movement of Mr. Singh’s car aligning with the location of Ms. Cordingley’s phone after her death, DNA evidence, and Mr. Singh’s sudden departure to India the day after the body was found.
- Defense: Argued that the investigation was flawed and that other possible suspects, including Ms. Cordingley’s boyfriend, were not adequately ruled out. They also questioned the significance of the DNA evidence and highlighted unidentified DNA found at the crime scene.
- Jury Deliberation: After two and a half days of deliberation, the jury informed Justice James Henry that they were deadlocked and could not reach a unanimous verdict.
Next Steps:
- Retrial Mention: Justice Henry has scheduled a mention for a retrial on March 26, 2025, to discuss available dates and coordinate with legal representatives and witnesses.
- Custody Status: Mr. Singh remains in custody as the case proceeds.
Additional Information:
- Covert Recording: During the trial, a covert recording was played in which Mr. Singh told an undercover officer that he witnessed the murder and fled out of fear, claiming he did not see the faces of the perpetrators as they were covered.
- Community Impact: The case has garnered significant attention, with Ms. Cordingley’s family and community members attending the trial daily, many wearing sunflower-patterned attire in her memory.
As the case remains active, no further comments have been made by the involved parties.
The row over baby wombat grabbed by an influencer… in 60 seconds
The US influencer who was filmed briefly taking a baby wombat away from its mum has now left Australia voluntarily.
Sam Jones, who describes herself as an “outdoor enthusiast and hunter” on Instagram, was criticised by the Australian prime minister after the video sparked outrage.
The BBC’s Katy Watson explains everything we know about what unfolded.
Influencer who stole baby wombat criticised by Australian PM
The Australian prime minister has criticised a US influencer after she stole a baby wombat from her mother.
“Take a baby crocodile from his mother and see how you go there,” he told journalists during a news conference.
Sam Jones, who describes herself as an “outdoor enthusiast and hunter” on Instagram, was filmed picking up a baby wombat by an unidentified road and running across it to a car, while its mother ran after them.
The video, which was filmed in Australia, has since been deleted and Ms Jones’s Instagram account set to private.
Ms Jones’s visa is being reviewed by immigration officials, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told the BBC, amid calls for her to be deported.
A US influencer who was filmed taking a wild baby wombat away from its distressed mother in Australia has said she is “truly sorry” and received thousands of death threats over the incident.
Sam Jones, who calls herself an “outdoor enthusiast and hunter”, was filmed picking up the joey on the side of a road, while laughing and running over to a car, while the mother chases after them.
It sparked a huge backlash, with Australian PM Anthony Albanese challenging her to “take a baby crocodile from its mother and see how you go there”.
In a lengthy statement on her Instagram page, Jones says she was trying to get the animals safely off the road.
She said, as can be seen in the video, that the mother runs off the road, but the baby does not, and Jones scoops it up. She says she ran across the road “not to rip the joey away from its mother, but from fear she might attack me”.
“The snap judgement I made in these moments was never from a place of harm or stealing a joey,” the statement said.
She said the video was “not staged, nor was it done for entertainment”, and in her excitement of the moment, “acted too quickly and failed to provide necessary context to viewers online”.
In the second part of her statement, Jones launched a scathing attack on Australia’s animal culling laws, including wombats, kangaroos, horses, deer and pigs.
Australia has various culling laws and regulations that spark controversy and divide the nation.
Wombats, which are native to Australia, are a protected species, but permits can be obtained to cull them if deemed necessary.
Anonline petition supporting her deportation received more than 40,000 signatures.Home Affairs minister Tony Burke said his department was reviewing whether it could revoke Jones’s visa. However, the BBC understands that she left the country of her own accord.
Jones, who also goes by the name Samantha Strable, has more than 95,000 followers on Instagram.
Conservationists warned Jones’s “appalling” behaviour could have caused severe harm to the wombats.
The Wombat Protection Society said it was shocked to see the “mishandling of a wombat joey in an apparent snatch for ‘social media likes'”.
“[She] then placed the vulnerable baby back onto a country road – potentially putting it at risk of becoming roadkill,” it noted in its statement, adding that it remained unclear if the joey had been reunited with its mother.
“I caught a baby wombat,” Jones said in the video, while the joey could be heard hissing and struggling in her grip.
The man filming can be heard laughing: “Look at the mother, it’s chasing after her!”
Her caption in the now-deleted post read: “My dream of holding a wombat has been realised! Baby and mom slowly waddled back off together into the bush.”
“The baby was carefully held for one minute in total and then released back to mom,” she wrote in the comments, responding to criticism.
“They wandered back off into the bush together completely unharmed. I don’t ever capture wildlife that will be harmed by my doing so.”
Animal rights organisations have criticised Jones. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or Peta, described the video as “wildlife-exploiting content” and urged people to “stop treating wildlife as a prop”.
Conclusion
The discharge of the jury in the Toyah Cordingley murder trial marks a significant setback in the pursuit of justice. After two and a half days of deliberation, the jury remained deadlocked, unable to reach a unanimous verdict on whether Rajwinder Singh was guilty of the 2018 murder at Wangetti Beach, Queensland.
With a retrial mention scheduled for March 26, 2025, the legal process is far from over. Singh remains in custody, and the prosecution must decide on the next steps. The case has captivated national attention, with Toyah’s family and supporters continuing to seek justice. The retrial will be crucial in determining whether new arguments or evidence can lead to a definitive outcome.