Cody Ryan Dukes pleads guilty to strangling his then 18-year-old girlfriend during argument

In a frenzied attack, the young man who was once considered one of the region’s top footballers, strangled his girlfriend and bit her on the face.

Domestic violence generic

A former Toowoomba rugby league A-Grade player has been sentenced to two years jail after pleading guilty to assaulting and strangling his girlfriend of the time.

Cody Ryan Dukes was just 19 when he formed a relationship with the 18-year-old woman in Toowoomba, the city’s District Court heard.

On the first occasion on November 27, 2021, the couple had been at a party when, during an argument, Dukes had pushed her back and she had struck her head, Crown prosecutor Nicole Friedewald told the court.

Initially, he had laughed but then apologised, she said.

On March 9, 2022, he had stayed at the complainant woman’s home and she had discovered messages on his phone indicating Dukes had cheated on her, Ms Friedewald said.

During an ensuing argument, Dukes had strangled the woman to the point she had trouble breathing and then bit her cheek before calling her a derogatory term, she said.

Toowoomba Courthouse in Hume St, Toowoomba City

The woman had nothing more to do with Dukes from that moment, the court heard.

Dukes, now 21, pleaded guilty to two counts of common assault and one of strangulation in a domestic setting.

Ms Friedewald said Dukes spent one day and 19 hours in the watch house after his arrest and though he at the time had no criminal history, he had since spent 259 days in custody after being charged with drug matters which were yet to be dealt with.

Ms Friedewald said the offending was a serious breach of trust but his pleas of guilty had spared the young woman from having to give evidence in court.

Barrister Scott Lynch, for Dukes, said his client was now living with his father in the Gladstone area and on a mental health plan with an appointment to see a psychologist.

District Court Judge Paul Smith

His client was yet to appear in the Supreme Court on the drug matters, he said.

Judge Paul Smith noted the relationship between the couple was at an end but told Dukes it was fortunate the young woman didn’t suffer any serious injury.

Judge Smith noted Dukes was born and raised in Beaudesert but had played A-Grade rugby league in Toowoomba.

Noting Dukes had no criminal history at the time, was a youthful offender and now had worked lined up and was off drugs, Judge Smith sentenced him to two years’ jail but ordered he be released on parole immediately.