The man at the centre of a Queensland cattle property triple-homicide which shook a small rural town between Collinsville and Bowen appeared in court for the first time on Monday.
He did not appear in person - instead via video-link from the Cannonvale Watchhouse - due to concerns for his safety following the assessment of the security facilities at the Proserpine Magistrates Court.
At the hearing, Darryl Valroy Young, a 59-year-old, long-time resident of Bogie, was charged with three counts of murder and another count of attempted murder.
The matter has been adjourned to a location closer to the alleged triple homicide: Bowen Magistrates Court on November 1.
In the aftermath, the town of Bogie is reeling from an incident that could “only have happened in the United States, not here”.
Police allege the incident occurred in the early morning of last Thursday.
At 9.00am, Thursday, August 4 Police allege they received a report that three people had been fatally shot at a property on Shannonvale Road, and another man, Ross Tighe, suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
Police said Mr Tighe, 30, managed to flee the scene in a red ute and alerted them to the shooting. Police and Ambulance services arrived, as well as RACQ CQ Rescue Helicopters, who flew Mr Tighe to Mackay Base Hospital where he received life-saving surgery.
Police soon announce a Public Safety Preservation Act (PSPA) covering a large swath of Bogie, one which they later revoked in favour of a smaller area centred around the actual site of the shooting.
The victims of the alleged shooting were soon identified as Ross Tighe’s family members - stepfather Mervyn Schwarz, his mother Maree Schwarz, and brother Graham Tighe – all of whom were shot dead at the front gate of the cattle property on Shannonvale Road.
Police Detective Inspector, Tom Armitt, said police received confused reports about where the crime scene was located as the properties were “tens of thousands of acres” large, which led to an almost day-long traversal of the crime scene.
“[Police had] no idea who or where the [alleged] shooting offender was,” Detective Inspector Armitt said.
But believed he was armed with a rifle, meaning officers were “in danger of being shot from any distance.”
“So that was slow and meticulous work and extremely brave of the officers who were involved.”
The investigation and travel through the rural country of Bogie lasted into the night, until three persons of interest were arrested – later identified as Mr Young, his son and a female member of the family - along with two members of a power company who had been working on the property but were not believed to be involved in the dispute.
None of the party had any idea that the murders that had taken place until police arrived.
After giving statements, all were released except Mr Young, who was taken to Bowen Police station and charged on Friday afternoon with the triple-homicide.
Police will allege a “conversation” between the victims and the alleged shooter occurred the night before (Wednesday, August 3) the incident. This conversation then led to a meeting at a gate between their properties on Thursday.
“What we do know is that all parties are neighbours, some conversation has occurred between the parties and resulted in a meeting up at the party’s boundary line earlier that morning when the incident occurred,” Detective Armitt said.
“We understand that there was a conversation the night before and that was the reason they met the next morning.
“There was an invitation for them to go there and discuss.”
Police will allege Mr Young then murdered the family at the front of the Shannonvale Rd property over an ongoing dispute about land boundaries.
Mr Young is due to appear in Bowen magistrates court on 1 November.
Two of the victims of a triple-homicide in Bogie were identified as Maree and Mervyn Schwarz
The other was identified as Graham Tighe
Ross Tighe (R) was the sole survivor of the event and underwent lifesaving surgery at Mackay Base Hospital, having been shot by the alleged gunman in the abdomen
