Darryl Valroy Young was sentenced on Monday by Justice Christopher Johnstone at the Supreme Court in Townsville after a jury convicted him of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.
The court imposed a 40-year non-parole period for the three murders, meaning Young will not be eligible to apply for parole until he is 99.
He also received a 16-year sentence for the attempted murder of Ross Tighe, who survived after being shot. The sentences will run concurrently.
The case arose from a shooting at the entrance to Young’s Shannonvale Station near Bogie on August 4, 2022.
Those killed were 71-year-old Mervyn Schwarz, his 59-year-old wife, Maree Schwarz, and Maree’s 35-year-old son, Graham Tighe. Graham’s brother, Ross, survived the attack after sustaining gunshot injuries.
Prosecutors said Young had accused the family of stealing his cattle and summoned them to the entrance of his property.
According to the prosecution, he confronted the group over the alleged theft before returning to his vehicle, retrieving a rifle and opening fire.
During sentencing, Justice Johnstone classified the killings among the most serious forms of criminal conduct. He increased the standard 30-year non-parole period by an additional 10 years, citing the killing of three members of the same family and the attempt to kill another victim.
The judge also described Young’s conduct as exceptionally ruthless.
Seven victim impact statements were presented to the court, outlining the lasting emotional and personal consequences of the killings on the victims’ relatives.
Lucy Tighe, the widow of Graham, told the court that their children were just 14 months old and three weeks old when their father was killed and have continued to struggle with his
absence.
Maree Schwarz’s daughter, Kim Gibson, also described the deaths of her mother and stepfather as devastating.
Young maintained his innocence throughout the trial. He pleaded not guilty to all four charges and denied being responsible for the shooting, insisting that he was not at the property gate when the attack occurred.
His defence also disputed the account provided by Ross Tighe, the only survivor of the shooting. The prosecution relied on Tighe’s testimony alongside other evidence presented during the nearly four-week trial.
The jury ultimately convicted Young on all three murder charges and, by an 11-1 majority, found him guilty of attempting to murder Ross Tighe.
The shootings occurred against the backdrop of a longstanding dispute over cattle. Young had previously served a prison sentence after being convicted of stealing more than 100 cattle, an issue that was also considered during the sentencing hearing.
Young has remained in custody since the 2022 killings and will continue serving his life sentences. With the 40-year non-parole period, he would only become eligible to seek release when he is 99 years old.
