Taren Thompson Gadsby charged over stabbing at Kershaw Gardens

A young woman is accused of stabbing her boyfriend while he slept at 4am as they slept in a tent.

A young woman accused of stabbing her boyfriend while he slept at 4am has given a different version of events, via her lawyer, in court during a bail application.

A young woman accused of stabbing her boyfriend while he slept at 4am has given a different version of events, via her lawyer, in court during a bail application.

Taren Thompson Gadsby, 22, has been charged with one count of wounding from March 1, 2025, and had been granted bail that day after being charged with serious assault of a police officer by biting/spitting causing bodily harm and two counts of fail to appear in court, Rockhampton Magistrates Court heard on March 5.

Defence lawyer Ashley Reynolds said her client had known the stabbing victim for four months and had been in a relationship with him for two.

She said Miss Thompson Gadsby had been struggling with homelessness recently, with the majority of her family living in Bundaberg, and was living in ‘tent city’ in Kershaw Gardens with the alleged victim.

Kershaw Gardens.

Ms Reynolds said the allegations involved her client waking up about 4am and stabbing the alleged victim just below the knee.

Magistrate Cameron Press said the wound, allegedly caused by a blue handled pair of scissors, made the alleged victim bleed extensively.

“Ultimately, the victim was taken to hospital,” he said.

Ms Reynolds said when police arrived, there was some confusion with both Miss Thompson Gadsby and the alleged victim telling police someone else had injured the victim.

Ms Reynolds said the alleged victim later changed his version and gave another statement naming her client as the person who wounded him.

She said Miss Thompson Gadsby will be contesting the charge and she has raised a defence - claiming the alleged victim had been covered her with a blanket and was trying to suffocate her when she “lashed out” and he had threatened her before police arrived which was why she gave her initial version to police.

The court did not hear that the alleged victim was charged with any offences.

Ms Reynolds said her client instructed she had attended Rockhampton Hospital on February 15 with injuries to her neck and had told staff the alleged wounding victim had attempted to choked her with a cord.

She said a CT scan found no internal injury, but she did have an external visible injury to her neck and was discharged with referrals for follow up medical care.

The court heard Miss Thompson Gadsby has no criminal history.

Mr Press granted Miss Thompson Gadsby bail to live in Bundaberg with a relative and not come to within 100km of Rockhampton unless it is to attend court.

A brief of evidence was ordered for the wounding charge and her charges were adjourned to April 23.