Convicted murderer Ian Turnbull, who shot dead an environmental officer investigating him for illegal land clearing, is locked in a court battle with one of his sons over the ownership of his farms.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Turnbull's second oldest son, Roger Turnbull, has taken his parents to the NSW Supreme Court, claiming they reneged on a long-standing promise to hand over farm land to him.
In a statement of claim filed in the court, Roger alleges that there was a dramatic breakdown in the wheat farming dynasty, with his father often calling him "stupid" and saying "you've made a bad choice in wife, you're getting what you deserve".
According to Roger, Turnbull consistently blamed him for everything that went wrong on the farm, including droughts, and called him away from his family for work that was not urgent.
Pictures taken by Environmental Officer Glen Turner of land clearing on Turnbull family property shortly before Glen Turner was killed.
Roger claims he started working full time after his father, a lifelong farmer from Moree, promised to give land to whichever of his four sons joined the family business.
The promise was allegedly repeated multiple times over the next two decades, although Turnbull shifted his
As a result of the assurances, Roger says he did not require a salary or wage for his labor, did not look for other jobs which paid more and also reinvested "substantial capital" back into the farm.
But Roger had a "permanent and irreconcilable" breakdown with his younger brother, Grant, who also worked in the family business, and his father in late 1996 to early 1997.
A partition agreement was drawn up so Roger could stop working in the family business, but he claims that at all times he assumed that the prior promises made by his parents still stood.
In 2014, the year that Turnbull turned 80, he shot dead Glen Turner, who had been investigating illegal clearing of native vegetation on the family's properties.
When Roger questioned his mother, Robeena Turnbull, about why they had not transferred their interest in three properties, she allegedly indicated that she intended to keep them until Turnbull was out of jail and needed them to pay for legal representation.
Roger's statement of claim says it is "unconscionable" for his parents to assert their title as owners of the properties and their share in them should be held on a constructive trust for him. In the alternative, Roger wants his parents to pay him the value of his contribution to the farming business.
In their statement of defence, Ian and Robeena Turnbull deny they ever made promises about giving property to their son, or that he was enticed to work on the farm because of such assurances.
The Turnbulls say Roger was fairly compensated for his contribution to the business and was provided with food, board, a vehicle, fuel and an income, including a share of profits.
The purpose of the partition agreement, they argue, was to "effect a complete separation of all interests" between Roger and his family members and it operated as a waiver to his claims in the legal proceedings.
They also deny the allegations that Turnbull bullied Roger and his wife, or that he spuriously bothered or blamed him for farm matters.
Turnbull, now 81, is currently serving a maximum 35-year prison sentence.
