The triple-murder case against Darryl Young has entered its third week, with a forensic scientist, a forensic pathologist and a Detective Sergeant giving evidence on Monday.

Young, 63, is charged with the shooting deaths of Merv and Maree Schwarz and Graham Tighe on August 4, 2022 at the front gate of his Shannonvale property.

He has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder.

FOLLOW MONDAY’S BLOG BELOW

He has also pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of Graham’s brother Ross Tighe, who has previously told the court he fled the scene after watching Young allegedly shoot Merv in the head.

On Monday a forensic scientist gave evidence about why seven gunshot residue kits taken weren’t analysed, while a forensic pathologist told a court that autopsy results showed the gunshot wound to Graham Tighe’s torso may have paralysed him before the fatal shot to his head.

The jury also heard on Monday that there is no fingerprint evidence linking Darryl Young to the alleged murders of Merv and Maree Schwarz and Graham Tighe.

The trial resumes on Tuesday.

WHY GUNSHOT RESIDUE KITS WEREN’T ANALYSED

2:18PM: A forensic scientist has given evidence about why seven gunshot residue kits taken after three people were gunned down at the front of Darryl Young’s property weren’t analysed.

Queensland Police Service forensic scientist Lucy Maxwell told the court GSR samples were taken from the hands of Young, his son Derek Young, a relative Sharon Young, Merv and Maree Schwarz, Graham Tighe and the inside of a Nissan Navara at Shannonvale.

Ms Maxwell told the court any GSR kit collected needed to meet certain criteria before it was analysed.

“Some of the factors that we look at… if the kit has been collected from a person, is whether that person is a firearms licence holder,” Ms Maxwell said.

“We also look at the time of collection, so whether the kit has been collected within six hours.”

The court heard the majority of gunshot residue was lost in the first two hours and “all is lost within four hours”.

“We also look at whether that kit has been collected from a person that has had contact with specialist police such as the Special Emergency Response Team,” Ms Maxwell said.

The court heard in relation to Young, Derek and Sharon, all three were firearms licence holders, had contact with SERT officers and the kits had been collected outside of six hours.

Ms Maxwell said as a result it was decided not to analyse the kits.

The jury also heard the kits collected from Merv, Maree and Graham were not analysed because they were all firearms licence holders.

Ms Maxwell said the samples from the steering wheel and handbrake within the Nissan Navara were not analysed because there had been information that one of the six people had been in contact with the vehicle and “we would expect to find a background population of gunshot residue particles present”.

“Licensed firearm holders are known to have a background population of particles on their hands… and they can also transfer those particles to their vehicles,” Ms Maxwell said.

Young’s barrister Eric Engwirda said a negative test would have been significant also, in relation to the vehicle.

“Not necessarily. The transfer of particles… will depend on how much gunshot residue is present on say a person’s hands, timeframe and the contact that they had,” Ms Maxwell said.

“If you’re to assume that a person drove a car immediately after firing a firearm and that the car then remained otherwise undisturbed for two or three days before the swabs were taken. In those circumstances you would expect to have a positive test for gunshot residue?” Mr Engwrida asked.

“It’s possible if there’s been gunshot residues deposited on somebody’s hands and they’ve transferred them to a vehicle.

Ms Maxwell said this was called “secondary transfer, and we don’t typically analyse for secondary transfer”.

VICTIM LIKELY PARALYSED BEFORE FATAL HEAD SHOT, AUTOPSY REVEALS

1:48PM: A forensic pathologist told a court the gunshot wound to Graham Tighe’s body fractured part of his spine and may have impacted his ability to move his legs.

Dr Rebecca Williams performed autopsies on Merv and Maree Schwarz and Graham Tighe between four and five days after the three were allegedly shot dead by neighbour Darryl Young at the front gate of his Shannonvale property.

The autopsies included both external and internal examinations on the trio, including that the wound to Graham’s torso likely happened first and fractured part of his spine.

Crown prosecutor David Nardone asked if that injury could have “impacted on Graham Tighe’s ability to walk or move his legs”.

“Yes, that’s possible that he might have been impaired by that injury, physically impaired so that his legs weren’t able to move. That’s possible,” Dr Williams said.

The court heard all three suffered life-ending gunshot wounds to the head, with Graham and Maree also suffering gunshot wounds to their torsos.

The court also heard none of the wounds showed signs of powder tattooing, stippling or muzzle impressions.

Mr Nardone asked about the range of fire for each of the gunshot wounds.

Dr Williams said she determined Merv had been shot in the head at a distance of more than two feet.

The court heard Dr Williams also determined the torso wounds to Maree and Graham appeared to be “distance” range gunshots rather than close range.

She was not able to determine the range in relation to the head wounds to Maree and Graham.

NO FINGERPRINTS TO LINK YOUNG TO ALLEGED MURDER, COURT HEARS

11:10AM: The jury has heard there is no fingerprint evidence linking Darryl Young to the alleged murders of Merv and Maree Schwarz and Graham Tighe.

Bowen Detective Sergeant Anita Portage gave evidence on Monday she had attended Shannonvale station on August 4, 2022 after Young had allegedly gunned down his neighbours.

Young’s barrister Eric Engwirda questioned Detective Portage about evidence collected from the scene including fingerprint and DNA samples.

“Was there any fingerprints that connected the defendant (Young) to this offence out of the fingerprint or DNA evidence?” Mr Engwirda asked.

“To the actual shooting, no,” Detective Portage said.

Mr Engwirda asked how long the drive from the front gate to the homestead took.

Detective Portage said it would be about 20 minutes as an estimate.

The court heard there had been security at the homestead until the evening of August 6, when it was removed.

“The crime scene was actually declared for the property of Shannonvale, the whole property, and there was security on that property being at the front gate where we had a crime scene guard and that’s where the log was,” Detective Portage told the court.

Mr Engwirda asked if that was the only point of entry to the property “that you were aware of”.

“Yes,” Detective Portage said.

She told the court she had not since been made aware of any other entry points to Shannonvale.

The court heard there had been a police forensic search on the property on August 6, and then an investigative search on August 8.

“Did you have any concerns that the house had not been secured for a day and a half by the time the investigation search was conducted?” Mr Engwirda asked.

“No I did not,” Detective Portage said.

In reexamination Crown prosecutor David Nardone asked Detective Portage about her drive from the front gate to the homestead.

She said it had been dark and was “quite a rough road”.

“We were driving carefully not having been on that road before,” Detective Portage said.