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

The 24-year-old victim was repeatedly attacked with a bladed weapon and placed in a sandy grave with little or no hope of surviving, the court has heard.

The remains were found by a family member the next day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch of shoreline nestled between the popular destinations of Cairns and Port Douglas.

The accused, 41, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Cordingley on a Sunday afternoon in October 2018 in Far North Queensland.

Jury Visit to Crime Scene

The panel of 10 men and two women plus three alternates visited the location along with the judge and barristers on Monday morning local time.

In a nod to the hot climate and sweltering heat, the judge opted for a casual top, sport shorts and sneakers rather than a wig and robes.

Both the lead prosecution and defence barristers chose casual shirts, shorts and headwear.

Location Details

The jurors were guided around three-quarters of a mile north up the sand to see where Ms Cordingley's body were discovered.

Earlier, as they arrived by bus, four red and white cones showed where the vehicle had been left.

The trip was intended to help the panel become familiar with key locations in the case and no official evidence was presented.

Background of the Case

Last week, the court heard that the following day Ms Cordingley's remains were found, the accused departed from Australia to India – abandoning his spouse, family and relatives.

He was not heard from until he was arrested four years later, the state said.

State Argument

It is claimed that Mr Singh, who was working as a nurse in the town of Innisfail, south of Cairns, had a altercation with Ms Cordingley.

The victim was discovered wearing a bikini, with her attire and most of her possessions absent.

Those items were taken by the killer to avoid detection, the prosecution contend.

Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a walk, was located secured to a post concealed in bushland about 100 feet from the burial site.

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

But the prosecution says the evidence – though indirect – was comprised proof that pointed to Mr Singh "and eliminated others."

This will include testimony that genetic material recovered from a stick at the scene was 3.8 billion times more likely to have come from Mr Singh than a random member of the public.

The jury has already heard testimony indicating that Ms Cordingley's phone departed the scene after the killing – and that its travel corresponded with those of a vehicle belonging to the defendant.

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

Defense Stance

"As the police were finding Toyah's remains, he was organizing... a rushed one way trip back to India," Mr Crane said previously as he began arguments.

The defence is yet to provided testimony, but in his initial statement, the defense attorney the lawyer described his client as a "calm" and "compassionate" man, who was in the "wrong place at the wrong time."

He also foreshadowed evidence to come subsequently that, after his apprehension, Mr Singh told an plainclothes agent he had witnessed assailants attack Ms Cordingley and then had run away in fear – something he said was his "biggest mistake."

The defense attorney has also said he will give evidence about individuals "identified and unidentified" who should come under investigation.

Further Testimony

Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, the witness, whom authorities excluded as a person of interest, was one who gave evidence previously.

The trial was informed he was an initial person of interest – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was implicated in his partner's vanishing, prior to her body were discovered.

Photographs depicting Mr Heidenreich on a hike with a friend on the day Ms Cordingley went missing have been presented to the jury, with an expert saying he was certain the pictures were genuine and had not been doctored in any manner.

The trial will resume to the standard environment of the courthouse on Tuesday.