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Members of the jury overseeing a high-profile Australian murder trial have been taken to the isolated beach where the victim was discovered.

The 24-year-old victim was multiple times attacked with a bladed weapon and buried in a shallow grave with little or no chance of survival, the court has heard.

The remains were discovered by a family member the following day on Wangetti Beach – a section of coastline between the tourist centres of Cairns and Port Douglas.

The accused, 41, denies killing Ms Cordingley on a weekend in October 2018 in northern Australia.

Jury Visit to Crime Scene

The panel of 10 men and two women plus several back-up jurors visited the beach along with the judge and legal counsel on the start of the week local time.

In a acknowledgment of the tropical conditions and sweltering heat, the judge wore a casual top, athletic wear and trainers rather than a wig and robes.

Both the prosecuting and defence barristers chose polo shirts, shorts and headwear.

Scene Details

The jurors were guided around 1.2km along the beach to see where Ms Cordingley's remains were discovered.

Earlier, as they traveled to the site, four markers showed where the vehicle had been left.

The trip was designed to help the panel become familiar with important sites in the case and no official evidence was presented.

Context of the Trial

Last week, the court heard that the following day Ms Cordingley's remains were found, the accused departed from Australia to India – leaving behind his wife, three children and relatives.

He was out of contact until he was apprehended years after, the state said.

Prosecution Case

It is alleged that the defendant, who was working as a nurse in the community of Innisfail, near Cairns, had a confrontation with Ms Cordingley.

The victim was found wearing a swimwear, with all her other clothes and most of her possessions missing.

Those items were removed by the assailant to conceal evidence, the prosecution allege.

Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a stroll, was located secured to a tree concealed in shrubland about 30 metres from the burial site.

No murder weapon was found, and no eyewitnesses have been identified.

But the state says the evidence – though indirect – was comprised proof that indicated Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."

This will include testimony that DNA recovered from a object at the location was 3.8 billion times more likely to have originated from Mr Singh than a random member of the population.

The jury has previously been told testimony indicating that Ms Cordingley's mobile device left the scene after the killing – and that its travel matched those of a blue Alfa Romeo owned by the defendant.

Mr Singh's quick exit from Australia also pointed to his involvement, the state has argued.

Defence Stance

"As the police were finding Toyah's body, he was arranging... a hurriedly arranged single journey back to India," the prosecutor said previously as he opened his case.

The defence is yet to provided testimony, but in his opening address, the defense attorney Greg McGuire described his defendant as a "placid" and "caring" man, who was in the "wrong place at the unfortunate moment."

He also foreshadowed testimony to come subsequently that, after his arrest, Mr Singh told an undercover officer he had seen two masked men attack Ms Cordingley and then had fled in terror – something he said was his "biggest mistake."

The defense attorney has also said he will testify about individuals "both known and unknown" who should come under suspicion.

Further Testimony

Ms Cordingley's partner, the witness, whom authorities quickly ruled out as a person of interest, was one who gave evidence previously.

The court was informed he was an initial police suspect – and that he had been interrogated from Ms Cordingley's father about whether he was implicated in his partner's disappearance, prior to her body were discovered.

Photographs depicting Mr Heidenreich on a walk with a friend on the date Ms Cordingley went missing have been presented to the jury, with an specialist saying he was confident the photos were authentic and had not been altered in any way.

The trial will resume to the more conventional setting of the courtroom on the next day.