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Members of the jury involved in a widely publicized Australian murder trial have been taken to the isolated beach where the victim was discovered.

Toyah Cordingley was repeatedly attacked with a bladed weapon and buried in a sandy resting place with minimal chance of survival, the jury has been told.

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

Rajwinder Singh, 41, has pleaded not guilty to killing Ms Cordingley on a Sunday afternoon in October 2018 in northern Australia.

Court Inspection to Beach

The jury of 10 men and two women plus three alternates attended the beach along with the judge and barristers on the start of the week local time.

In a nod to the hot climate and sweltering heat, Justice Lincoln Crowley wore a T-shirt, athletic wear and trainers rather than traditional court attire.

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

Scene Details

The jurors were led around 1.2km north up the sand to observe where Ms Cordingley's body were uncovered.

Upon arrival, as they traveled to the site, four markers showed where the vehicle had been parked.

The visit was intended to help the jurors become familiar with key locations in the case and no testimony was presented.

Background of the Case

Previously, the court was informed that the day after Ms Cordingley's body were discovered, 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 prosecution said.

Prosecution Argument

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

The pharmacy worker was discovered wearing a bikini, with her attire and belongings missing.

Those items were taken by the killer to avoid detection, prosecutors allege.

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

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

But the prosecution says the crown's case – though indirect – was made up of proof that indicated Mr Singh "and eliminated others."

This will include evidence that genetic material recovered from a object at the location was 3.8 billion times more likely to have come from Mr Singh than a random member of the population.

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

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

Defense Position

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

The defense is yet to present any evidence, but in his initial statement, the defense attorney Greg McGuire described his client 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 apprehension, Mr Singh told an plainclothes agent he had seen two masked men attack Ms Cordingley and then had run away in terror – something he said was his "gravest error."

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

Additional Testimony

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

The trial was informed he was an immediate person of interest – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's father about whether he was involved in his partner's disappearance, prior to her remains were discovered.

Images depicting the witness on a walk with a companion on the day Ms Cordingley went missing have been presented to the court, with an specialist saying he was certain the photos were authentic and had not been doctored in any way.

The case will return to the more conventional setting of the courthouse on the next day.