Ross Tighe, a survivor of an alleged triple murder at a Bogie cattle property, faced intense cross-examination Wednesday, with defense lawyers scrutinizing his personal history and financial struggles rather than directly addressing the accusations against property owner Darryl Valroy Young. Mr. Tighe forcefully rejected claims that Mr. Young, a Queensland cattle farmer, was never at the scene of the alleged shooting in Bogie, stating, "he was there" and "Darryl was at the front gate."
Mr. Young has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in a Supreme Court trial in Townsville. He is charged with the attempted murder of Mr. Tighe and the murder of his brother Graham Tighe, mother Maree Schwarz, and stepfather Mervyn Schwarz.
The jury heard accusations that Mr. Young used a rifle to shoot the four family members when they attended the gate of his Bogie cattle property for a meeting on August 4, 2022, the fourth anniversary of the incident. Defense lawyer Anthony J Kimmins told jurors that the farmer never saw the Tighes or the Schwarzes, who worked a neighboring cattle station, on that day, urging them to consider other motives for the killings.
Property Lines and Bloodshed
Mr. Kimmins suggested Mr. Young was never at the gate at the time of the alleged shooting, a claim Mr. Tighe vehemently denied. The court viewed photos of the shirt Mr. Tighe wore and the driver's seat of the car he said he drove while wounded. Mr. Kimmins questioned the absence of a bullet entry hole on the shirt and blood in the car, to which Mr. Tighe replied, "Entry holes aren’t really that big — it didn't bleed that much." He also confirmed making a civil claim against Mr. Young for injuries suffered.
The State's Scrutiny of the Dispossessed
The court then heard details of Mr. Tighe's history of drug use, including charges for possession of cannabis and MDMA, as well as obstructing police. He answered questions about his criminal history, but criticized Mr. Kimmins, saying, "Scraping the bottom of the barrel a bit." Justice Christopher Johnstone warned Mr. Tighe against commenting on the line of questioning.
After one of his convictions, Mr. Tighe lost his gun license, a fact he confirmed but could not pinpoint when it occurred. Mr. Kimmins further probed whether Mr. Tighe ever grew cannabis or assisted anyone in doing so, questions Mr. Tighe declined to answer, claiming legal privilege.
Text messages between Mr. Tighe and his former partner, whose name is legally withheld, were also presented to the court. Mr. Tighe questioned their relevance, asking, "What has this got to do with anything?" One message from his then-girlfriend read, "I am stressed about having no money," which Mr. Tighe explained by stating, "We were trying to save more money."
Economic Precarity on Trial
Mr. Tighe’s tax return from 2021-22, showing an income of $35,688 over 12 months, primarily from his family’s business, was also displayed. Messages between the couple also made mention of physical violence and a domestic violence order. Mr. Tighe denied any physical violence towards the woman and denied having a DVO placed on him.
Ross Tighe gave evidence via video link from the Mackay courthouse on Wednesday, concluding his testimony. The Supreme Court trial in Townsville is expected to run for three weeks and continues.