NSW gym trainer Darcy Cogdale jailed over drugs, weapon and assault

Buff NSW personal trainer Darcy Cogdale has pleaded guilty in a supreme court to a raft of offences after shattering a man’s teeth. He has also been jailed for possession of drugs and a weapon.

Buff NSW personal trainer Darcy Cogdale has pleaded guilty in a supreme court to a raft of offences including assault causing bodily harm, possession of drugs and other charges including having a weapon.

The 24-year-old was sentenced in Brisbane Supreme Court yesterday to four years in prison but with time served, he will be released in six months.

Cogdale spent time at F45 Training gym in Woolloomooloo before boasting about the opening of its branch in Lismore, in NSW’s north, in June, where he worked as a head trainer.

He frequently uploads posts on Instagram showing off his body to his 2100 followers.

Fitness instructor Darcy Cogdale, who recently boasted about the opening of F45 Training Lismore. Picture: Facebook

Fitness instructor Darcy Cogdale smashed a man in the mouth so hard that he shattered two of the victim's teeth.

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Police found five grams of methamphetamine, around nine grams of MDMA, 21.5 grams of cocaine and more than 69 grams of testosterone and clenbuterol in Cogdale’s home, The Northern Star reports.

Officers also seized $4500 in cash, a knuckle duster and a small ice pipe during a search last February.

The drugs and cash related to Cogdale’s commercial drug dealing enterprise but he also conceded some was for his personal use.

Around three months after the drug bust, Cogdale was in Cairns.

A night out at the Shangri-La ended in near disaster after Cogdale punched a man in the face, knocking out the victim, shattering two of the man’s teeth and busting his lips.

It took more than five months and $8000 for specialist dentists to fix the man’s teeth.

The victim spent a year living in fear and it was only after ongoing counselling that he was able to venture out again at night, the court heard.

At the time of the attack, Cogdale was on a suspended sentence for punching a man in 2017.

Darcy Cogdale turned to drugs and alcohol, which seemed to contribute to his problem with violence, it was heard in court.

Police found Cogdale in possession of methamphetamine and MDMA tablets.

“Knocking someone unconscious and smashing their teeth is pretty serious,” Justice Helen Bowskill said during Cogdale’s sentencing.

Justice Bowskill noted Cogdale went off the rails about five years ago when he found out his mother had cancer in her bone marrow.

He turned to drugs and alcohol, which seemed to contribute to his problem with violence.

Justice Bowskill said Cogdale copped a reality check when he spent four months on remand, during which he undertook courses in personal training and stopped his substance abuse.

Acknowledging Cogdale’s completion of a drug rehabilitation program, his volunteer work with other drug users and other attempts to turn his life around, Justice Bowskill said the drug sales and the assault still warranted a decent jail term.

Darcy Cogdale is often shirtless on his Instagram account where he shows off his body to his 2100 followers. Picture: Facebook

Fitness instructor Darcy Cogdale

“Everyone has difficult and challenging things in their life — you are young so this won’t be the last time you have a traumatic and difficult thing to deal with,” she told him as his mother and father watched from the court gallery.

“You have really woken up to yourself as a consequence of spending that time in custody.”