SHE STOOD BY DARRYL YOUNG’S FATHER — NOW SHE HAS FINALLY SPOKEN: SHARON YOUNG’S EMOTIONAL COURTROOM EVIDENCE REVEALS ANOTHER SIDE OF THE FAMILY’S SH0CKING STORY
Bogie shooting victims Graham Tighe, Maree and Mervyn Schwarz and killer Darryl Young
Police & Courts
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Darryl Young went to prison for the same cattle duffing crime he accused his neighbours of committing before shooting them dead.
Now Young’s murder trial has concluded, The Courier-Mail can reveal the jury was not told that Young also had his gun licence taken off him by police but successfully appealed it in the years before the triple-murder.
Young’s defence team also suffered a massive blow when prosecutors questioned the credibility of their ballistic expert so intensely that the defence decided against calling him as a witness.
None of this was heard by the jury in Young’s four-week trial and instead played out behind closed doors as Young’s bid to beat the murder charges crumbled.
Young was found guilty on Friday of murdering his neighbours Graham Tighe, Maree Schwarz, and Mervyn Schwarz at the front gate of his property at Bogie on August 4, 2022, as well as attempting to murder sole-survivor Ross Tighe.
He pleaded not guilty to the crimes, but a jury found him guilty of all four offences at Townsville Supreme Court.
It can be revealed Young went to prison for cattle duffing in 2006 after helping his mother steal 237-head of cattle from her neighbours, before they were overbranded and tried to be sold off.
Their scheme was uncovered by Stock Squad officers who seized more than 140 cattle at sales at Gracemere, near Rockhampton, in May and June, 2003.
Both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal cattle. Young was jailed for two years – suspended after serving six months – and had to pay $18,900 back to the people who had cattle stolen.
Young accused his neighbours of stealing his own cattle before shooting them dead.
Queensland Police Service also refused to renew Young’s gun licence, finding he was “not a fit and proper person” and it was “not considered to be in the public interest” for him to own firearms.
In 2010, Young appealed the ruling and argued “I have not broken any laws to stop me having a gun licence”, saying he needed one to kill feral animals on his property.
In the third week of Young’s trial, Young’s defence team made an application for Justice Christopher Johnstone to make a ruling that the prosecution be invited to reconsider a decision to call Sharon Young – or call her himself – after prosecutors refused.
Police tape sealing off Shannonvale Rd about 3km from crime scene which saw Mervyn and Maree Schwarz along with Graham Tighe shot and killed and the wounding of Ross Tighe at Bogie, Central Queensland
The twist – which played out in the absence of the jury – saw a recorded phone call played to the courtroom where Ms Young tells a detective she remembers nothing from the day of the shooting and didn’t remember what she initially said in her statement.
Ms Young – the former partner of Young’s father – was at his Shannonvale property on the day he murdered the three family members.
In a phone call with police on August 2, 2026, Detective Anita Pordage asked Ms Young about that day and if she could “remember at the moment”.
Ms Young said “I do not remember anything else that happened” and “no my memory is no good. I can’t even remember people’s names”.
Sharon Young, who was married to accused triple killer Darryl Young’s father, leaves Townsville Supreme Court after giving evidence in Young’s murder trial. Picture: Janessa Ekert
Mr Nardone objected to Ms Young being called as a crown witness because she had no memory of the events of that day or what she earlier told police.
“How can the Crown hold a view that a witness who said they have no memory of events of the day, and no memory of what she previously told police about the events of the day – how can the crown ever hold a view that that person can ever be considered reliable?,” Mr Nardone said.
“If she doesn’t have any memory of the events, why would she be called as a witness?”.
Justice Christopher Johnstone ultimately dismissed the application, and the defence called Ms Young themselves just days later.
Young’s defence team also hit a massive hurdle after deciding not to call one of their key witnesses from giving evidence after his qualifications were denounced by prosecutors.
Adam Cooper – the defence’s proposed expert ballistics witness – wrote a report questioning evidence given by veteran QPS ballistics expert Sergeant Ian Bruce which was dropped to the prosecution team the week the trial began.
Sergeant Bruce’s evidence was that spent cartridge cases found at the front gate crime scene and Shannonvale homestead were fired by the same gun, based on analysis of identification marks examined under a comparison microscope.
In an application to exclude Mr Cooper’s evidence made in the absence of the jury, crown prosecutor Monique Sheppard questioned his credibility, including claiming a six-week course he completed on ballistics in 2003 didn’t actually exist. Mr Cooper said he completed the course.
Court drawing of defendant Darryl Young from Mackay Court in relation to the triple murder at Bogie. Artist – Julie Haysom
Mr Cooper – the director of Global Forensic Ballistics – also admitted that he didn’t have any qualifications in comparison microscopy, and had never used a comparison microscope.
Ms Sheppard also picked apart Mr Cooper’s claim of having “more than two decades of experience” despite spending the first part of his career as an engineer.
After intense scrutiny by prosecution, Young’s defence declared they would not call Mr Cooper as a witness in front of the jury.
Since Young’s arrest in 2022, his case has changed hands six times – including starting and ending with the same solicitor, Rennick Lawyers.
Young’s barrister, Anthony Kimmins, has acted for several high-profile people, including Olympic kayaker and convicted drug smuggler Nathan Baggaley, convicted wife killer John Chardon, and most recently representing CFMEU leader Jade Ingham at the Commission of Inquiry.
