A Queensland man on trial for murdering his neighbours allegedly said “I’ll end this once and for all” before shooting them dead, but his defence team will argue he was never there, a court has heard.
Darryl Valroy Young, 63, has pleaded not guilty to murdering his neighbours Mervyn and Maree Schwarz, and Maree’s son Graham Tighe in an alleged shooting on a rural property at Bogie in on August 4, 2022.
Young also pleaded not guilty to attempted murder over the alleged shooting of Graham’s brother, Ross Tighe, who escaped and survived.
On the first day of the trial in Townsville Supreme Court, crown prosecutor David Nardone told the jury how the prosecution alleged Young met the family at the boundary gates of his Shannonvale station under the pretence of resolving a dispute over missing calves.
The court was told how Young allegedly refused to shake the hand of Mr Schwarz before grabbing a rifle from his ute, saying something similar to “I’ll end this once and for all” and gunning down his neighbours.
Ballistics experts are expected to testify that four spent shell casings found near the bodies matched identical spent cartridges seized by police inside Young’s house.
However, Young’s defence barrister Anthony Kimmins argued Young was never at the scene, saying jurors would hear evidence about a lack of forensic evidence on Young’s body or clothing.
Mr Kimmins also urged jurors to scrutinise a 23-minute timeline window where Young went to meet wind farm workers on his property, arguing he couldn’t allegedly slaughter three people and travel to their location in that time.
Young’s murder trial kicked off on Monday when the 63-year-old – clad in a navy button-up shirt with blue pocket square – sat quietly in the dock wearing an earpiece to hear the proceedings.
A jury of six women and six men were empanelled – with three reserve jurors – who will hear from dozens of witnesses set to be called to give evidence over the three-week trial.
It is alleged Young shot all three in the head, before allegedly shooting a bullet through Mr Schwarz’s stomach which inflicted a wound into Ross Tighe.
Mr Nardone said the jury would hear about a “tense” phone call between Graham Tighe and Young the night before the killings.
Mr Nardone said Young “angrily accused” Mr Tighe of selling calves which belonged to him, which led to a meeting at the gates of Young’s Shannonvale station at 8am the next day.
Mr Kimmins said defence would not accept the contents of that phone call.
The court heard how the family attended the gates and were allegedly shot about 8.07am.
The court also heard how two trail cameras usually attached at the gates where the meeting took place were “not attached to or near the gate” on the morning of the alleged murders.
It is alleged they were taken down hours before.
Mr Nardone said Ross Tighe would tell the jury how he watched his stepfather get shot before running to hide in tall grass where he waited for some time.
The court heard how Ross – who had also been shot – finally emerged from his hiding spot to find his mother Maree and brother Graham had both been shot in the head.
Mr Nardone said Ross began driving back to their property when he got a flat tyre and was found by a neighbour who drove him to safety.
Mr Nardone said while the murder weapon had not been found, four spent cartridges found at the scene matched three identical cartridges found in Young’s home.
“Those shell casings are important pieces of evidence because as the investigations proceed … you will learn that those shell casings can be linked back to the very person … Ross will have told you shot his family,” Mr Nardone told the jury.
The court heard police testing used high magnification to examine cartridge cases including extraction markings and firing pin impressions.
“Each of the four cartridges located at the Shannonvale gate were fired by the same weapons,” Mr Nardone told the jury.
“A cartridge casing that was located in the kitchen of Darryl Young’s dwelling was fired with the same gun as that which was used to fire the four cartridges that were located at the gate.”
Mr Kimmins said defence would argue that Young went to his front gate to let wind farm workers in on the morning of August 4 and followed them 45 minutes to a remote part of his property – arriving at 8.30am.
Mr Kimmins said it’s the defence case that Young did not see his neighbours that morning.
“If Daryl Young had slaughtered the neighbours at around 8.07am, how was he able to drive back to the homestead …, and then drive to the highest spot on the Shannonvale property, arriving there at 8.30am,” Mr Kimmins said.
Dozens of witnesses will be called to give evidence including sole-survivor Ross Tighe, Young’s son Derrick Young, dozens of police officers and specialist detectives – including forensic and ballistic cops – as well as on-scene paramedics and graziers.
Dozens of family members packed into the public gallery who travelled from across the state to attend the first day of the trial.
The trial – set down for four weeks – continues on Tuesday where Ross Tighe is expected to give evidence.