A man who claims he had a brief affair with Toyah Cordingley in the days before her death has admitted that he lied to police about their relationship and confessed to accessing a 'murder porn' website.Rajwinder Singh has pleaded not guilty in the Supreme Court to the murder of Ms Cordingley, 24, at an isolated far north Queensland beach on October 22, 2018.
Ms Cordingley drove to Wangetti Beach, north of Cairns, for a Sunday afternoon walk with her dog on October 21, 2018 and never returned.
She was found early the next morning buried in the sand on the beach with multiple stab wounds and her throat cut.
Tyson Franklin on Thursday testified he had a sexual encounter with Ms Cordingley earlier that month after he gave her a podiatry assessment.
Mr Franklin said he had 'feelings for her' and believed the pair had 'chemistry'.
Under cross-examination by defence barrister Brydie Bilic, Mr Franklin admitted during the brief affair he used a file-sharing website to access 'murder porn'.
'You were accessing murder porn and rape porn on this website?' Ms Bilic asked.
Toyah Cordingley was found buried in the sand on the beach with multiple stab wounds and her throat cut near Wangetti Beach, north of Cairns, in October 2021
Tyson Franklin (pictured) told the court on Thursday that he lied to police about their relationship and insists he did not share Ms Cordingley's details on a murder porn website
'Yes,' Mr Franklin replied.
He agreed the website was used by anonymous people to exchange depraved material.
'Did you share any information about Toyah Cordingley on this website?' Ms Bilic asked.
'No,' Mr Franklin said.
Mr Franklin testified he told police Ms Cordingley wanted to leave her boyfriend.
Lead defence barrister Angus Edwards previously told the jury there were a number of other potential suspects in Ms Cordingley's death, including her boyfriend Marco Heidenreich.
Mr Heidenreich previously testified he had no involvement in Ms Cordingley's death.
Mr Franklin admitted lying to police on October 22, 2018 when he said the pair had not been physically intimate.
Rajwinder Singh pleaded not guilty in the Supreme Court to the murder of Ms Cordingley
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He said he had spent the night at Ms Cordingley's home on October 14 and left in the early hours of October 15.
'You lied about your relationship?' Ms Bilic said.
'I didn't tell it in full,' Mr Franklin said.
He told police he got the impression Ms Cordingley wanted to break up with Mr Heidenreich.
'She was not happy. She wanted to live by herself,' Mr Franklin said.
He agreed he had exchanged many flirtatious text messages with Ms Cordingley via phone and Facebook Messenger.
The jury previously heard Mr Heidenreich had access to Ms Cordingley's phone and Facebook account during their relationship.
'Literally saw you five minutes ago, don't even care. It doesn't bother me what happened last night,' Ms Cordingley texted to Mr Franklin after he spent the night at her home.
Tyson Franklin denied posted Toyah's (pictured) details on a 'murder porn' website
The last text message Ms Cordingley sent was to Mr Heidenreich at 3.17pm on the day she died, telling him she was going to pick up Mr Franklin from Cairns airport that evening.
Mr Franklin testified Ms Cordingley never showed up at the airport and he took an Uber ride home.
Mr Heidenreich previously testified he did not see Ms Cordingley's message about Mr Franklin until hours after it was sent.
The jury on Thursday heard testimony from police forensic officer Sergeant Kylie Webster.
She was brought in to remove sand from Ms Cordingley's body and take DNA samples.
Sgt Webster agreed with crown prosecutor Nathan Crane Ms Cordingley was found wearing a bikini top that was originally white with a flower pattern but was red with blood.
Toyah Cordingley wanted to leave her boyfriend a week before she was found dead, a jury heard on Thursday
'There were four (damaged areas) on the left cup and kontol one on the right cup,' Sgt Webster said.
Under cross-examination from Mr Edwards, Sgt Webster agreed Ms Cordingley's body could have spent significant time lying on the beach in an area close by where blood had soaked into the sand.
The alleged murder weapon has never been found.
The trial is due to resume on Monday and go for another three weeks at Cairns before Justice James Henry.