HE DEMANDED IT AGAIN… AND AGAIN: ACCUSED FARMER’S CHI-LLING PROPERTY-LINE MEETING DEMAND EMERGES BEFORE THREE NEIGHBOURS WERE ALLEGEDLY MUR-DERED
The Chilling Meeting Demand Before the Bogie Triple Murder
A tense confrontation between neighbours the night before three people were allegedly shot dead has emerged as a key moment in the trial of Queensland grazier Darryl Valroy Young.
Young, 63, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder over the deaths of Mervyn Schwarz, his wife Maree, and her son Graham Tighe at the gate of Young’s cattle property at Bogie on August 4, 2022. Maree’s other son, Ross Tighe, allegedly survived after being shot.
During the ongoing Supreme Court trial in Townsville, witness Kaitlin Jordan told the jury about a phone conversation she said she overheard between Young and Graham Tighe on the night before the shooting.
According to Jordan’s evidence, Young allegedly told Graham he was “sick of all of this” and wanted to meet with him. When Graham suggested meeting the following morning while the family was mustering, Jordan said Young insisted that the meeting take place at the Shannonvale property boundary.
She told the court Young allegedly specified that Graham should attend with his brother Ross, Mervyn and Maree. The demand was reportedly repeated three times before the conversation ended.
The testimony gives the jury a potentially significant glimpse into the relationship between the neighbouring families in the hours before the alleged killings. Jordan also described Young as someone who would allegedly linger around his property on a buggy and watch what others were doing.
The following morning, prosecutors allege the confrontation at the property gate ended in a deadly shooting. Mervyn, Maree and Graham were killed, while Ross was wounded and managed to escape and seek help. ABC previously reported that Ross was able to drive about 40 kilometres after being shot before help was contacted.
Young’s defence has disputed the prosecution case. His barrister has argued that Young was not present when the four family members were shot.
The earlier court proceedings also show how long the case has taken to reach trial. In September 2023, Young appeared via video link from Townsville Correctional Centre and attempted to represent himself after saying he could not afford a private solicitor. He was facing the same three murder charges and one attempted murder charge at the time.
Now, more than four years after the alleged shooting, the jury is being asked to examine the events leading up to that fatal morning—including the repeated demand for a face-to-face meeting that, according to witness evidence, came just hours before three neighbours lost their lives.
SOURCE: https://www.couriermail.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=CMWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.couriermail.com.au%2Ftruecrimeaustralia%2Fpolice-courts-qld%2Faccused-triple-murderer-allegedly-demanded-fatal-meeting-at-property-gate-court-hears%2Fnews-story%2F784cc446cf908cf099a875836fbeb2b4&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=LOW-Segment-2-SCORE
