Townsville Supreme Court: Alleged Bogie murderer Darryl Valroy Young’s bail application adjourned after GPS tracking problem

The triple murder accused’s bid for freedom has fallen flat after it was revealed he wouldn’t be adequately tracked by a monitor due to service problems at his rural property.

Townsville Supreme Court: Alleged Bogie murderer Darryl Valroy Young’s bail application adjourned after GPS tracking problem picJohn/Andersen

The proposed address of where an alleged triple murderer was planning on staying while on bail has caused concern in the court after it was revealed his rural address would not allow for consistent GPS monitoring.

Darryl Valroy Young appeared in Townsville Supreme Court on Monday morning via video link while his lawyer attempted to submit a bail application which would see the murder accused back in the community.

The now 61-year-old grazier is accused of shooting Marvin Schwarz, 70, Maree Schwarz, 59 and Maree’s son Graham Tighe on August 4, 2022 west of Bowen.

Mr Young has been charged with three counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, possessing an unregistered weapon, restricted item and tainted property

Defence lawyer Douglas Wilson from Legal Aid Queensland said his client was prepared to agree to any set of strict bail conditions which would include a “geographic boundary condition” as well as having no contact with witnesses and a curfew condition.

He submitted that Mr Young, if granted bail, lived at his West Euri Rd property which is where the alleged murders are said to have occurred and sought to address the concerns the prosecution’s office had with the residential condition.

Mr Wilson read aloud an email sent to the prosecution’s office.

“Good morning DPP, the Vodafone coverage map does not recognise that address,” he read.

“A variation of the address shows sporadic coverage, this appears to be a large rural property. Parts of the property do have coverage, parts do not have coverage which will be problematic,” the email concluded.

“That, in my respectful submission, is not grounds to make the findings that the property is not suitable,” Mr Wilson said.

Justice David North interjected, “It seems like that to me”, he said.

“It’s not an area where reliable monitoring can be conducted, it’ll drop in and out.”

His Honour said if Mr Young were to take “backs roads or routes to get from A to B” it posed the possibility of his GPS monitor being cut out altogether.

Mr Wilson said the rural property was the only address they had on file and an adjournment would be required to suggest new residential details for a bail application.

Earlier in the proceeding Mr Wilson noted Mr Young’s minor criminal history which included sentences for stealing, possessing suspected tainted property and failing to securely store weapons that spanned over 28 years however acknowledged there were no offences of violence or failing to comply with court orders

The court was told Mr Young had been a plant operator for 10 years before his arrest and intended to return to the mining industry if granted bail.

“I accept the allegations as being serious, it has been committed to trial,” Mr Wilson said.

“If convicted, it will see him serve life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 20 or 30 years.”

Justice North adjourned the bail application to January 30, 2025 in Townsville Supreme Court.

Originally published as Townsville Supreme Court: Alleged Bogie murderer Darryl Valroy Young’s bail application adjourned after GPS tracking problem