Ex-detective speaks for first time about suspicions of Young in cattle thefts — ABC News Australia

In Australia, former detective Fred Swift and former neighbours of Darryl Young said that the man convicted of a triple murder had terrorised farming communities in Queensland for years, was involved in cattle thefts and threatened people. As ABC News Australia reports, Young is serving three life sentences with eligibility to apply for parole after 40 years. He is appealing his conviction and sentence.

The 63-year-old Young was convicted of the 2022 murders of Mervyn and Marie Schwarz and her son Graham Tighe in Bogie. According to the source, before the shooting he baselessly accused the family of cattle theft. Ross Tighe, the sole survivor, was also wounded.

Investigation and 2006 conviction

Swift, who worked in Queensland Police's livestock crime investigation unit, said he first encountered Young in 1994. According to him, Young was the main suspect in cattle thefts in the Bowen area and repeatedly threatened him.

According to the former detective, the unit received reports about Young for many years but did not have sufficient evidence to bring charges. In 2003, Swift saw suspicious brands on cattle at a saleyard in Gracemere, far from Bowen. He claims that Young and his mother Janelle altered brands and registered markings similar to those of their neighbours.

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In 2006, Young pleaded guilty to stealing 147 head of cattle together with his mother. He was sentenced to two years in prison, with eligibility for release after six months. Janelle Young received a suspended two-year prison sentence. Judge Bob Pack at the time called the scheme “quite sophisticated”, particularly because of Gracemere's distance from the Bowen area.

Claims by former neighbours

A former neighbour of the Young family, Steve Norman, said he had been trying to have Young held accountable since 1986. According to him, after he contacted the police unit, windmills on his property were damaged, pumps were stolen and fences were damaged. Norman also claims that Young threatened his daughters.

Another former neighbour, Robert Kohler, said he had problems with Young in Bogie almost every day and would not meet him without a weapon. He claims that he contacted police over suspicious activity on his property, but his reports were not properly addressed.

Queensland Police did not comment on the cattle theft allegations or on how the unit handled reports. The agency said detectives from the Rural and Stock Crime Squad investigate complex crimes in rural areas, which may cover large territories and require considerable time.