Gladstone man Rodney Noel Marxsen, 61, denied bail on attempted murder charge

A Central Qld man accused of attempting to murder a woman allegedly used a chainsaw to try and cut through a door. But what he allegedly searched on Google was even more shocking.

A Gladstone man is accused of trying to murder a woman.

A Central Queensland man accused of attempting to murder a woman allegedly previously searched online for instructions on how to sever a spinal cord, how to buy a gun, how to make a garotte and where to buy poisonous snakes.

Rodney Noel Marxsen, 61, made an application for bail in the Supreme Court in Rockhampton on November 9 where allegations relating to charges of attempted murder, grievous bodily harm, choking and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Justice Graeme Crow said the attempt to pervert justice charge arose from alleged offending while Mr Marxsen was remanded in custody for alleged offending on March 7, 2022 against a woman. 

Justice Crow said it was alleged the woman discovered Mr Marxsen had conducted online searches about “how to buy a gun”, “how to make a garotte”, “how to sever a spinal cord” and “where to buy poisonous snakes” and she contacted helplines, being referred to a service on March 6.

He said that early the next morning, she woke to the sound of someone trying to open her front door and allegedly found Mr Marxsen outside.

The court heard Mr Marxsen went to get a chainsaw from his ute and started it up after she asked him what he was doing.

Justice Crow said it was alleged Mr Marxsen used the chainsaw in an attempt to gain access to the property through a metal door.

He said Mr Marxsen then allegedly moved to the rear door and the woman ran out the front door, towards a nearby caravan park, screaming for help.

Justice Crow said it was alleged Mr Marxsen jumped in his ute to chase after her, ran towards her and punched her three times in the face.

He said the woman alleged Mr Marxsen then grabbed her neck and choked her while she was still standing, and she couldn’t breathe and couldn’t speak.

Justice Crow said she alleged she recalled standing up one minute and the next minute she woke up with the alleged offender on top of her, still choking her.

“She lost her memory and thinks she passed out,” he told the court.

Justice Crow said when she woke up the next time, she was on her back and Mr Marxsen was allegedly still choking her, but not as hard, but saying to her “you’re a f---ing bi--h. You ruined my life”.

He said the woman alleged that after about a minute, he released his grip and said “I won’t kill you this time”.

Justice Crowe said she called triple-0 as he left.

He said a police officer found Mr Marxsen standing in the rear carpark of the Gladstone Police Station and the officer asked Mr Marxsen if he could help him.

Justice Crow said it was alleged Mr Marxsen told the officer “I’ve done something stupid. I’ve just tried to kill (the woman). I tried to choke her but I couldn’t finish it and I tried to kill myself and I couldn’t even do that. We should just put a bullet in me”.

He said during an official interview with two other police officers, Mr Marxsen again made admissions that he “grabbed the bi--h and started choking the life out of her” and that “it was premeditated” but he wasn’t going to use the chainsaw, “just squeeze the life out of her”.

Justice Crow said recorded phone calls between Mr Marxsen and others while he had been incarcerated on the attempted murder charges showed no insight to the seriousness of his alleged offending and continuation of an aggressive attitude towards the woman, continually referring to her as a “greedy f---ing bi--h” and blaming her for his violent actions.

Crown prosecutor Joshua Phillips said of the two proposed bail addresses, one was at Mr Marxsen’s property where a convicted domestic violence offender now resides, and the other was with his brother who had been deemed not suitable due to comments made in the recorded prison phone calls.

Mr Phillips also raised concerns Mr Marxsen, who was aware he faced a possible head sentence of up to nine years in prison if convicted, would have “powerful motivation to flee” due to that factor.

Justice Crow said evidence before the court indicated the Crown had a strong case.

He said the evidence also indicated Mr Marxsen had “buddied up” with the convicted domestic violence offender and had plans with the man to work together in the timber industry which Justice Crow found “respectfully fanciful”.

Justice Crow said due to Mr Marxsen’s alleged continued aggressive attitude towards his wife and lack of insight to his behaviour, he deemed Mr Marxsen an unsatisfactory risk of reoffending and harming the woman. 

“It appears to me that Mr Marxsen doesn’t have insight into the fault and cause in that he continues to blame (the woman) for his actions which are extremely violent,” he said.

The court heard the attempt to pervert justice charge had yet to be transferred from Gladstone Magistrates Court to the Supreme Court by a committal process.

Mr Marxsen has no criminal history.

Bail was refused.