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Members of the jury overseeing a high-profile Australian murder trial have traveled to the remote shore where the victim was discovered.

Toyah Cordingley was multiple times attacked with a bladed weapon and buried in a shallow grave with little or no chance of survival, the court has been told.

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

The accused, 41, has pleaded not guilty to killing Ms Cordingley on a weekend in October 2018 in northern Australia.

Jury Inspection to Beach

The jury of 12 individuals plus several back-up jurors visited the beach along with the judge and barristers on the start of the week local time.

In a nod to the tropical conditions and temperatures above 30C, the judge wore a casual top, sport shorts and sneakers rather than a wig and robes.

Both the prosecuting and defence barristers chose casual shirts, bottoms and baseball caps.

Scene Details

The court members were guided around three-quarters of a mile along the beach to observe where Ms Cordingley's body were discovered.

Earlier, as they traveled to the site, several markers showed where the vehicle had been parked.

The trip was intended to help the panel become familiar with important sites in the case and no testimony was presented.

Background of the Trial

Last week, the court heard that the day after Ms Cordingley's remains were discovered, Mr Singh departed from Australia to India – abandoning his spouse, family and relatives.

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

State Case

It is claimed that Mr Singh, who was employed in healthcare in the community of Innisfail, south of Cairns, had a altercation with Ms Cordingley.

The victim was found wearing a swimwear, with her attire and most of her possessions absent.

Those objects were removed by the killer to conceal evidence, the prosecution allege.

Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a stroll, was located secured to a post concealed in bushland about 100 feet from the grave.

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

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

This will involve evidence that genetic material recovered from a stick at the location was extremely more probable to have originated from Mr Singh than a unrelated individual of the public.

The court has previously been told testimony indicating that Ms Cordingley's mobile device departed the beach after the incident – and that its travel matched those of a blue Alfa Romeo owned by the defendant.

Mr Singh's sudden departure from Australia also suggested his guilt, the state has argued.

Defence Position

"As the police were discovering Toyah's body, he was arranging... a hurriedly arranged single journey back to India," Mr Crane said last week as he began arguments.

The defense is has not provided testimony, but in his opening address, Mr Singh's barrister Greg McGuire portrayed his client as a "placid" and "compassionate" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the unfortunate moment."

He also hinted at evidence to come subsequently that, after his apprehension, Mr Singh told an plainclothes agent he had seen two masked men attack Ms Cordingley and then had run away in fear – something he said was his "gravest error."

Mr McGuire has also said he will give evidence about other people "both known and unknown" who should come under investigation.

Further Evidence

Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, the witness, whom police excluded as a person of interest, was among those who testified last week.

The trial heard he was an initial person of interest – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was involved in his partner's disappearance, even before her remains were discovered.

Images showing Mr Heidenreich on a hike with a friend on the day Ms Cordingley disappeared have been presented to the jury, with an expert saying he was certain the photos were genuine and had not been altered in any way.

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