A wind farm worker has told a jury that he and a colleague posed for a selfie with Bogie’s accused triple murderer Darryl Young after the alleged shooting.
Darryl Young, 63, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder over the deaths of Merv and Maree Schwarz and Graham Tighe on August 4, 2022 at the front gate of his Shannonvale cattle station at Bogie.
He has also pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of Ross Tighe, who suffered a bullet wound to the stomach.
Wind farm worker Liam Parnell gave evidence earlier.
The first week of the three-week trial has come to an end, it will resume on Monday.
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MOMENT COP FOUND SPENT CARTRIDGES
One of the first police officers to arrive at the alleged triple murder scene told a jury he saw two spent cartridges on the ground inside Darryl Young’s property.
Acting Senior Sergeant Craig McConnell – who was stationed at Bowen Police Station on August 4, 2022 – told a jury he became aware of an alleged shooting incident about 9am that day.
After first travelling to speak with sole survivor Ross Tighe, Sergeant McConnell said he proceeded to Shannonvale Station where he found three bodies at the gate.
A partial photo was shown to the jury of the body of Mervyn Schwarz, which showed him on his back on the ground, feet crossed towards the gate, with a cowboy hat sitting upright by his side.
Sergeant McConnell said while at the scene, he saw two ejected cartridges on the other side of the gate “reflecting” in the sunlight.
Sergeant McConnell said the Specialist Emergency Response Team (SERT) arrived some time later and he moved to the base of the hill to set up a road block.
Another police officer – Acting Sergeant Oliver Gordon – was the officer-in-charge of Collinsville Station when he was tasked to attend the alleged shooting.
The jury was told that Sergeant Gordon went to the Shannonvale homestead about 8.30pm on the night of August 4 – which he said was about 2-3km from the front gate.
Sergeant Gordon said he saw SD cards “strewn across” the kitchen table and trail cameras on the bench.
The jury heard Sergeant Gordon also returned to the homestead the following night to deliver supplies to colleagues, where he also searched the property for dogs left near some buggies.
The jury heard that while driving around Shannonvale, Sergeant Gordon saw a number of collapsed mine shafts.
On August 8, Sergeant Gordon also told the jury he returned to the property to search for firearms, and searched an “old abandoned gold mine” in difficult terrain.
No firearms were found, the jury heard.
The court has adjourned for the weekend. The trial will resume on Monday at 10am.
‘DARRYL WAS 20 METRES INSIDE GATE’
A second windfarm worker has given evidence that Darryl Young remained at the front gate of Shannonvale station after the two workers drove onto the property about 7.30am on the morning three people were allegedly murdered at the location.
It is alleged Young shot dead Merv and Maree Schwarz and Graham Tighe about 8.07am on August 4, 2022.
Matthew Garbutt told the court Young had been in a ute about “20 metres inside the gate” when they arrived and had a “fairly brief” chat with Young before driving on to Shannonvale homestead.
“When you continued on towards the homestead did you see where Darryl Young was?” Crown prosecutor David Nardone asked.
“Yes he remained at the gate,” Mr Garbutt said.
He told the court he and Mr Parnell then drove up to the location they planned to work that day.
Mr Garbutt said he had stopped to take some videos of the surroundings, while Mr Parnell continued to the location.
A still of the video was shown to the jury with the time 8.11am.
Mr Garbutt said shortly after arriving he took the video and agreed with Mr Nardone it was “10 to 20 minutes after arriving (he) saw Derek Young” (Young’s son).
On Thursday, Derek Young gave evidence that he drove in a buggy to where the windfarm workers were, and that his father and another relation Sharon Young had travelled behind him in another buggy.
Derek Young said the trio had remained with the windfarm workers all day until they were told to return to the front gate.
Mr Nardone asked Mr Garbutt, “At the time Derek Young was with you were Sharon or Darryl Young in sight?”
“No,” Mr Garbutt said.
He told the court Derek was no longer with them when he saw Young and Sharon and believed he (Derek) had gone “to check fences”.
“How long after… Derek had come and gone did you see Darryl Young and Sharon?” Mr Nardone asked.
“Shortly”, Mr Garbutt said, telling the court he could not estimate a time.
Defence barrister Anthony Kimmins suggested Derek had arrived sooner than 10 to 20 minutes.
“I suggest it wasn’t 10 to 20 minutes it was shorter than that,” Mr Kimmins said.
“I’ll just stick to my statement,” Mr Garbutt said.
“And then at that time that he turned up effectively Darryl and Sharon turned up,” Mr Kimmins asked.
“Incorrect, no,” Mr Garbutt said.
NEIGHBOUR’S MISSING 30-30 RIFLE
1.55PM: A neighbour of Darryl Young had a 30-30 rifle go missing from his property during the time of a house fire more than 10 years ago, a jury has heard.
Brett Stagg – who has owned Normanby Station in Bogie since 2002 – has been called to the stand in the trial against Young.
Mr Stagg told the jury that his 16,000 acre property bordered both Young’s property, Shannonvale, and Sutherland – the property bought by Graham Tighe, Mervyn Schwarz and Maree Schwarz in 2021.
The jury heard that a house fire occurred on Mr Stagg’s property in 2011 where two guns went missing – a .223 and a 30-30 rifle.
The jury was told only the .223 was recovered by Mr Stagg.
Earlier this week, crown prosecutor David Nardone told the jury that spent cartridges found at the alleged murder scene matched those of a 30-30.
The jury was also told that Mr Stagg had an “up and down” relationship with Young.
“You had an up and down with Darryl Young?” Mr Nardone asked.
“That’s correct,” Mr Stagg said.
“But otherwise you were a neighbour and tried to keep the peace?,” Mr Nardone asked.
“That’s correct,” Mr Stagg said.
The jury also heard that Mr Stagg had seen trail cameras used at Shannonvale Station – including at the front gate – but the last time he saw one at the gate was about six months before the shooting.
YOUNG ‘RELAXED’ IN BUGGY AFTER ALLEGED MURDERS
12.24PM: A wind farm worker who was on Darryl Young’s property at the time of an alleged triple murder said Young did not follow them to his homestead after meeting them at the front gate.
Mr Parnell said he arrived at the front gates of Young’s property about 7.30am with his colleague on August 4, 2022.
He said they had a brief conversation with Young when they passed through the gate. Mr Parnell said Darryl did not follow them to the homestead.
He told the jury that the journey from the front gate to the work location – stopping at the homestead to collect another car – took about one hour.
The jury was told that one of the cars was also carrying a trailer.
He said he could not recall exactly when Young and his family joined them at the ridge, but said it was after they arrived about 8.30am.
Ross Tighe told the jury on Tuesday that he believed the shooting occurred about 8.07am on August 4.
Under cross-examination by Young’s defence barrister Anthony Kimmins, Mr Parnell said there had been no change in Young’s demeanour throughout the day and he was not aggressive towards him.
Mr Parnell said during the day he spent with him he saw Young “relaxing” in a buggy.
Mr Parnell has concluded his evidence.
Colleague Matthew Garbutt has now taken the stand.
SMILING WIND FARM WORKER’S SELFIE
11.30AM: The jury has been shown a selfie photo of a smiling wind farm worker as he posed with his colleague, Darryl Young, Derek Young and Sharon Young some time after learning of a shooting via a phone call with his manager.
A number of people in the image were giving a thumbs up.
The court heard Liam Parnell had been working with his colleague Matt Garbutt at Shannonvale station on August 4, 2022, the duo arriving just over 30 minutes before Darryl Young allegedly shot dead Merv and Maree Schwarz and Graham Tighe at the front gate of the property.
Mr Parnell told the jury they had arrived at the front gate about 7.30am where they were met by Young, who they spoke to briefly before driving to the homestead to collect equipment from a second rental ute they had left at the property two days earlier.
Mr Parnell said he and Mr Garbutt then continued to up an elevated ridge on the property where they began trying to set up equipment and were later joined by Young, his son Derek Young and another woman Sharon Young, who remained with them until they later were asked by police to return to the front gate.
Mr Parnell said he learned of the shooting via a phone call with his manager.
“After learning of the shooting through your manager did you have contact with anyone else?” Crown prosecutor David Nardone asked.
Mr Parnell said yes, a police officer.
“While you were there and speaking with police were you asked to do anything?” Mr Nardone asked.
“I was asked to take photos and send them across,” Mr Parnell said.
This included a “selfie of all of us up there”.
An image of the selfie was shown to the jury depicting a smiling Mr Parnell with the group, several of who are giving a thumbs up for the photo.
Mr Parnell said he did not hear any gunshots while he had been working at the ridge.
Mr Nardone asked Mr Parnell if she saw any weapons and he said “no”.