Former Qld Origin player Joshua McGuire to stand trial for alleged strangulation

Former Queensland State of Origin rugby league player Joshua McGuire has been committed to stand trial for allegedly assaulting a child, reportedly involving strangulation. The charges were laid in December last year, and Mr McGuire, who is currently on bail, appeared in the Brisbane Magistrates Court for a committal hearing on Thursday.

At the hearing, his lawyer, Kim Bryson, cross-examined the child's mother regarding conversations she had had about the incident with certain individuals. The mother, who cannot be named, testified that she could not recall discussing the matter with some of them.

During the testimony, the mother confirmed that she had taken her child to the police station following the alleged incident and that officers had photographed her child's injuries. After hearing the evidence, Ms Bryson informed the court that her client had agreed to have his case progress to a higher court, the Brisbane District Court.

When asked if he had anything to say about the charges or his plea, Mr McGuire, who played in the NRL between 2009 and 2022 and represented the Maroons over a dozen times, indicated he did not have any immediate statement. The judge, Belinda Merrin, rejected part of Mr McGuire's application to vary some of his conditions on bail, stating that the allegations were extremely serious.

She noted evidence consistent with the alleged choking of the child, including visible marks on the child's neck and the child's immediate demeanor suggesting a very upsetting event had occurred. The case has been adjourned to a later date.