Queensland murder trial views photos of rifle cartridge packets

The trial of a Queensland cattle farmer, accused of murdering the owners of a neighbouring property, has viewed photos of rifle cartridge packets found inside his home.

Prosecutors have told a Supreme Court trial being held in Townsville that spent shell casings with "30.30 WIN RP" markings were found around the bodies of married couple Mervyn Schwarz and Maree Schwarz and Mrs Schwarz's son Graham Tighe.

The jury heard the trio were found fatally wounded outside the gate of Darryl Valroy Young's Bogie cattle station on August 4, 2022.

Mr Young, who was charged over their deaths, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder.

He has also pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of Ross Tighe, who earlier told the trial he was shot by Mr Young, and saw the farmer shoot dead his family.

Photographs taken by police investigators and presented to the trial today showed two packets of cartridges for a .30-30 calibre rifle.

The court heard the packets were found inside Mr Young's home, beside medication prescribed to him, next to a bed.

Crown prosecutor Monique Sheppard presented the photos taken by Queensland Police Senior Constable Kerrod Vaughn and noted the absence of cartridges inside one of the packets.

"That is correct," Senior Constable Vaughn replied.

The trial has heard that Mr Young was not licensed to carry a .30-30 calibre rifle and that no such weapon was found on his property, Shannonvale Station.

Mr Young's neighbour, Brett Stagg, earlier told the trial that he once owned a .30-30 calibre rifle but that it went missing during a fire at his property in 2011.

Disconnected cameras

The trial has also viewed photos of trail cameras and dozens of memory cards inside Mr Young's kitchen, after Ross Tighe said cameras usually at the gate of Shannonvale Station were missing on the day of the alleged murders.

Photos of the bloodstained Land Cruiser driver's seat, where Mrs Schwarz was found dead, were also presented to the jury today.

Ms Sheppard tendered several photos of a small circular hole that could be seen in the damaged window of the driver-side door.

Photos of shell casings around the bodies of Mr Schwarz and Graham Tighe, who lay outside the Land Cruiser, were also presented to the jury yesterday.

Stepmother refused statement

The trial heard Mr Young was arrested late on August 4, 2022 alongside his son, Derek Young, and his stepmother, Sharon Young, as well as two wind-farm workers, but that only Mr Young was accused of wrongdoing.

His lawyer, Anthony J Kimmins, told the trial Mr Young never saw the Schwarzes or the Tighes on the day he is accused of shooting them.

Police revealed yesterday that Sharon Young refused repeated requests from detectives to give a statement in the days after the alleged shooting.

The trial has heard that Derek Young, who gave evidence last week, did provide police with a statement.

Derek Young told the trial he saw his father talking to Sharon Young after Darryl Young had returned from the station gate on the morning of August 4, 2022.

He said his father and Sharon Young also travelled together in an all-terrain vehicle later that day to meet with wind-farm workers installing equipment at the property.

The trial continues.