Jury discharged in high-profile Australia beach murder

A assemblage successful the proceedings of a erstwhile caregiver accused of murdering a pistillate connected a distant Australian formation has been discharged, aft they could not scope a verdict.

Toyah Cordingley was stabbed astatine slightest 26 times portion retired walking her canine successful October 2018.

The 24-year-old's assemblage was discovered by her father, half-buried successful soil dunes connected Wangetti formation betwixt the fashionable tourer hotspots of Cairns and Port Douglas.

Rajwinder Singh, 40, who travelled to India the time aft Ms Cordingley's assemblage was found, was charged with murder. He was arrested and then extradited to Australia successful 2023.

But jurors astatine Cairns Supreme Court said they were deadlocked, and incapable to scope a unanimous determination connected his guilt aft two-and-half days of deliberations. The justice thanked the assemblage for their "diligence".

Under Queensland law, assemblage verdicts successful execution cases indispensable beryllium unanimous. So Mr Singh volition look different trial.

Originally from Buttar Kalan successful the Indian authorities of Punjab, Mr Singh had been surviving successful Innisfail astatine the clip of the killing, a municipality astir 2 hours southbound from the transgression scene.

Prosecutors said they did not person a motive for the sidesplitting of Ms Cordingley - a wellness store idiosyncratic and carnal structure unpaid - and determination was nary grounds of a intersexual assault.

The proceedings astatine Cairns Supreme tribunal heard that a DNA illustration taken from the victim's close fingernails matched the illustration of Mr Singh, and that DNA highly apt to beryllium his was besides discovered connected a instrumentality connected the grave.

Data from mobile telephone towers besides suggested Ms Cordingley's telephone had moved successful a akin signifier to Mr Singh's bluish Alfa Romeo car connected the time the unfortunate went missing.

The prosecution besides suggested the hurried mode Mr Singh near Australia without saying goodbye to his household oregon colleagues pointed to his guilt.

Mr Singh had denied execution – and had told an undercover constabulary serviceman helium had seen the killing, past near the country, leaving down his woman and children due to the fact that helium feared for his ain life.

His defence lawyer said helium was "a coward" but not a killer, and accused constabulary of a "flawed" probe that did not look sufficiently astatine different imaginable suspects.

They said DNA recovered astatine the scene, connected the victim's fingernails, and her discarded selfie instrumentality did not lucifer Mr Singh's profile.

"There is an chartless person's DNA astatine that sedate site," defence barrister Angus Edwards told the jury.