Triple-murderer Darryl Valroy Young has been sentenced to life in prison for shooting dead three members of the same family and attempting to murder another at a remote north Queensland property.
Young, 63, was sentenced on Monday after a Townsville Supreme Court jury found him guilty last Friday of murdering Graham Tighe, 35, Mervyn Schwarz, 71, and Maree Schwarz, 59, and of attempting to murder Ross Tighe.
The shooting happened at the gate of Young’s Shannonvale Station property near Bogie, southwest of Bowen, on August 4, 2022.
The court was told the victims had gone to the property for a meeting linked to an escalating cattle dispute. Young accused his neighbours of stealing his cattle and had demanded the confrontation.
In sentencing, Justice Johnstone said there was “no evidence ever of him having stolen your cattle” in relation to Graham Tighe, and Young’s accusations were bitterly ironic because “you were the only cattle thief there that day”.
He noted Young and his mother had pleaded guilty in 2006 to stealing cattle, overbranding 147 cattle over eight months. They were sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, suspended after Young served six months and his mother served one day.
Justice Johnstone said the evidence showed Young had decided by 7.06pm the night before to take action against the family after making a phone call to Graham Tighe demanding a meeting at the front gate at 8am.
“It is clear to me that you had decided then that you were going to engage in some form of action against Mervyn, Marie, Graham and Ross,” Justice Johnstone said.
“Whether your motivation had been formed then was not clear, but you had already formed your plan to kill all four at some point in time in the future.
“How that point in time came about, nobody really will fully understand, nor will the reason for it ever truly become clear.”
The judge said Young then removed trail cameras from the gate area after the phone call before meeting them on August 4, armed with a .30-30 rifle, which was either already loaded with at least a five-shot magazine or subsequently loaded.
“It sat behind you whilst you waited in the car for the arrival of Mervyn, Marie, Graham and Ross. You probably had about half an hour to think about what it was you were going to do that morning,” Justice Johnstone said.
Ross and Graham Tighe arrived first about 8am, followed about 10 minutes later by the Schwarzes.
Justice Johnstone said the family had approached Young as neighbours should, with Graham offering to return a gate key and Mervyn even offering a handshake.
“Mervyn offered to shake your hand. You refused it,” he said.
“When Graham asked you when it was that this supposed theft had taken place, you, of course, could not identify any particular date.”
The judge said Young then ended the exchange by retrieving the rifle.
“Ultimately, I’ll end this once and for all,” Justice Johnstone said Young declared before pulling the gun from the back seat.
Justice Johnstone said Young first shot Mr Schwarz in the head, killing him instantly at the gate. He then shot Graham Tighe in the back and Ross Tighe in the abdomen as they tried to run, Young shot Mrs Schwarz where she stood.
Justice Johnstone said Mrs Schwarz later made it into the driver’s seat of the couple’s LandCruiser, apparently trying to escape, before Young fired two further shots at close range.
“You shot two people who were already seriously wounded from gunshots you had already inflicted on them, and your actions can only be described as thoroughly cowardly and completely ruthless,” Justice Johnstone said.
“It is entirely appropriate that I use that term to describe your actions in executing Marie and Graham. They were indeed slaughtered.
“You killed three members of one family and attempted to kill a fourth as if you were killing feral animals on your property, except they were not animals, they were humans.
“They were loved family members and respected within the community. They are also your neighbours.”
The judge said Young then fled and disposed of the rifle.
He said physical evidence, including .30-30 ammunition, gun cleaning kits and a spent shell casing found hidden under a box in Young’s kitchen, strongly supported Ross Tighe’s eyewitness account and proved Young had possessed the weapon used in the attack despite no .30 calibre rifle being registered to him.
He also said Young’s defence at trial showed a complete lack of remorse, particularly the attempt to blame Ross Tighe for the killings and his own near-fatal shooting.
“You have also expressed no contrition whatsoever,” Justice Johnstone said.
“The very idea that Ross Tighe somehow shot himself, whether with the same rifle or a different rifle, and, as I say, did so in such a way that caused him life-threatening injuries, which did not kill him immediately, was absurd.”
In sentencing, the judge found all three murders were in “the worst category” and said the seriousness of killing three people and trying to kill a fourth justified a parole ineligibility period well above the 30-year statutory minimum.
“In relation to counts one, three and four, you will be sentenced to life imprisonment … I will set your parole eligibility date at 40 years from the time you were first taken into custody,” Justice Johnstone said.
He said that meant Young, who was 59 when he was taken into custody on August 4, 2022, would be 99 if he is still alive when first eligible for parole.
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