Troy Trengove, Troy Tarrant, Kurt Kernahan face District Court after bizarre shooting of Royal Park workshop owner

A man just diagnosed with cancer took two mates to confront an Royal Park workshop owner – and shot him in the chest. Now a court’s been told why.

A man who shot the owner of an Adelaide workshop over threats to his friends did so on the same day he’d been diagnosed with a terminal illness – and believed he didn’t have long to live, a court has heard.

Troy Richard Trengove, 53, faced the District Court on Tuesday alongside his two co-accused – Troy James Doyle-Tarrant, 47, and Kurt Francis Kernahan, 32 – charged over the 2023 shooting of John Gabby Rahme at Royal Park.

The court heard Trengrove, of Parafield Gardens had been diagnosed with cancer earlier that day, and went to the workshop to retrieve items and money he believed had been stolen from friends by Mr Rahme.

Doyle-Tarrant, of Alford, and Kernahan, of Manningham, kicked in the door and Trengove shot Mr Rahme in the chest in the process of confronting him, the court heard.

The court heard Trengove did not intend to kill his victim – and was armed with a gun only because he didn’t “know what he was walking into”.

The front door was “forced open” by Tarrant and Kernahan. Picture: Emma Brasier

Trengove was originally charged with the attempted murder of Mr Rahme, but instead pleaded guilty to aggravated recklessly cause serious harm, and firearm and ammunition charges.

His co-accused both pleaded guilty to aggravated serious criminal trespass in a non-residential building.

Scott Laidlaw, for Trengove, told Judge Leisl Kudelka on the day of the incident, his client’s friends told him they had been threatened by Mr Rahme – who they claimed had stolen assets and money from them.

It was further alleged that following that conversation, Trengove was also threatened by Mr Rahme – who said he had a “number of very heavy individuals” he would be sending, some of which Trengove knew to be affiliated with bikie gangs.

Tyrone Tarrant, Kurt Kernahan and Troy Trengove. Picture: Facebook

Mr Laidlaw additionally submitted that, earlier on the same day, Trengove had been diagnosed with cancer and was told it was terminal – leading him to fear he “did not have long to live”.

“When Mr Trengove adopted the – and we say extremely poor – decision to attend the business premises of Mr Rahme to confront him in furtherance of his friend’s plight, he has taken a homemade firearm purely because he did not know what he was walking into,” Mr Laidlaw said.

“He did not go to the complainant’s business with the intention of shooting him, attempting to kill or anything of that nature.

“This has come about in circumstances where Mr Trengove held the belief that he did not have long to live, the people that were close to him were being threatened or stood over, and he has attempted to intervene.

“It is that mindset – that attempt to protect his friends – that has caused all of this to come about.”

Mr Rahme’s workshop. Picture: Emma Brasier

Prosecutor Taryn Amos told the court the trio had attended Mr Rahme’s Brandwood St business in one Tuesday evening in January 2023 and “forced the front door open” by repeatedly kicking it to the point it split in half.

Ms Amos submitted Trengove was captured on CCTV with the gun “brandished from the outset” before shooting Mr Rahme in the left upper chest.

Without medical treatment the wound “may have been life threatening”, the court heard.

Trengrove is now in remission from cancer.

Tiana Zenari, who prosecutors previously alleged was the boyfriend of Kernahan and alleged getaway driver after shooting, had one charge of aiding and abetting attempted murder withdrawn in April, 2023.

She was also discharged without penalty in relation one charge of failing to answer questions.

The trio will return to court later this month for sentencing.

Originally published as Troy Trengove, Troy Tarrant, Kurt Kernahan face District Court after bizarre shooting of Royal Park workshop owner