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Members of the jury overseeing a widely publicized Australian murder trial have been taken to the isolated beach where the young woman was discovered.

Toyah Cordingley was multiple times stabbed with a bladed weapon and buried in a sandy grave with minimal hope of surviving, the court has heard.

Her body were discovered by her father the following day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch of shoreline nestled between the tourist centres of Cairns and Port Douglas.

Rajwinder Singh, 41, denies murdering Ms Cordingley on a Sunday afternoon in October 2018 in northern Australia.

Court Visit to Beach

The panel of 10 men and two women plus three back-up jurors visited the beach along with the judge and legal counsel on Monday morning in Queensland.

In a nod to the hot climate and sweltering heat, Justice Lincoln Crowley wore a casual top, sport shorts and sneakers rather than a wig and robes.

Both the prosecuting and defense attorneys selected casual shirts, bottoms and headwear.

Scene Particulars

The jurors were led around three-quarters of a mile along the beach to see where Ms Cordingley's remains were uncovered.

Upon arrival, as they arrived by bus, several markers indicated where the vehicle had been parked.

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

Context of the Trial

Last week, the court was informed that the day after Ms Cordingley's remains were discovered, the accused flew from Australia to India – leaving behind his wife, three children and relatives.

He was out of contact until he was arrested four years later, the state said.

Prosecution Case

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

The pharmacy worker was found wearing a swimwear, with all her other clothes and belongings absent.

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

Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had brought along for a walk, was located secured to a tree hidden in shrubland about 100 feet from the burial site.

The weapon was found, and no eyewitnesses have been identified.

But the prosecution says the evidence – though circumstantial – was comprised findings that indicated Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."

This will involve evidence that DNA obtained from a object at the scene was extremely more likely to have come from Mr Singh than a unrelated individual of the population.

The court has already heard testimony indicating that Ms Cordingley's mobile device left the scene after the killing – and that its movements corresponded with those of a blue Alfa Romeo belonging to the accused.

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

Defense Stance

"While authorities were finding Toyah's remains, he was arranging... a rushed single journey back to India," Mr Crane said last week as he opened his case.

The defence is has not provided testimony, but in his initial statement, Mr Singh's barrister the lawyer described his client as a "placid" and "compassionate" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the unfortunate moment."

He also foreshadowed testimony to come subsequently that, after his apprehension, Mr Singh informed 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 other people "identified and unidentified" who should come under investigation.

Further Testimony

Ms Cordingley's partner, the witness, whom police excluded as a possible suspect, was one who gave evidence previously.

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

Images showing Mr Heidenreich on a hike with a friend on the date Ms Cordingley disappeared have been shown to the court, with an expert saying he was confident the pictures were authentic and had not been altered in any way.

The case will return to the standard environment of the courthouse on the next day.