"Banged up for eight months for going into a Hungry Jacks diner without a mask and asking for the safe": Where did it go wrong for Corey Cadby in spectacular fall from grace
PDC
Corey Cadby was a huge darts talent years ago. A young emerging star, he was not far away from the headlines, and not for the good reasons. The Australian defeated some of the sport's biggest names at a young age, became world youth champion, and reached the final of the UK Open. However, his career unravelled amid a stint behind bars.
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In a very honest interview with Bang on Target, he discussed his recent troubles while explaining the current situation he was in. “Yeah, it’s good thanks," he began. "I was released from jail in January this year. Moved back to Davenport [in the state of Tasmania] and now live with my wife and daughter.”
Cadby first made an impression Down Under on the World Series of Darts, defeating Phil Taylor enroute to coming second in the Auckland Darts Masters against Kyle Anderson. His limited PDC appearances showcased his undeniable talent, even reaching a final on the floor along with that UK Open run in 2018. He was expected to compete with the best in the world. That would never occur.
When it started to go wrong
One of his biggest consequences had huge permutations not just with his darting career, but with his life. “I was banged up for eight months for going into a Hungry Jacks diner without a mask and asking for the safe.
The incident occurred when he was very high on drugs. "I was just high on coke and don’t exactly know why I did it. I just fell back in with my old mates and, before I knew it, I was robbing a burger place.”
It, however, could have been different. Back in 2023, he won his Tour Card at Q-School in Germany. Instead of making the trip to England to continue his darting career, he went back to Australia. “In hindsight, I should have come straight back with you to the UK. If I had done, I probably wouldn’t have done what I did.”
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More legal trouble
Cadby has since got clean and is trying to be a good father and husband in an attempt to get his life back on a good path. The prior incident was not the only time he has fallen afoul of the law however.
Rumours once arose around him breaking into a family members house. He explained the events behind that. “My Aunty was being badly treated by her fella. Nothing physical but psychological abuse, not letting her out or contact anyone. So myself and a few mates who were armed with poles went to the house.
“I smashed the door down and started punching him. Then one of the lads smacked him with a pole. When the police arrested me, I wouldn’t give up the names of my mates. So it was all on me. I was charged with illegal entry to the house and assault.”
He was in deep trouble with the law on this occasion. “So I got 28 months for that. At that time, I was high on ice.”
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Corey Cadby was a very talented darts player
Back playing darts, but PDC return complicated
However, the his darting qualities were still there. "Then I got out in January. Played a doubles tournament with my brother shortly after and we won. I played decent, averaging around 93.”
He has since kept around that level, enough to feature at a high standard on the PDC Tour. That ambition seemed to have flown by. “Yeah, I doubt I’d very much get a visa now. You reckon, mate! That said, people seem to enter Britain far easier these days. I could row over.”
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With him also being a family man now, that is his main priority. Adding to that, there is soon to be a new mouth to feed in the Cadby household. “My missus is expecting.” With the due date being in October, Cadby is set to be a father once more.
Lucas MichaelDarts Journalist
Lucas Michael is a darts journalist and reporter based in Cambridge, UK, and has been part of the DartsNews team since 2025. He covers professional darts through reports, analysis, round-ups, and live coverage, with a focus on clear context and accurate reporting across the PDC calendar.
A key part of his work is liveblogging major tournaments throughout the year, providing real-time updates, match coverage, and contextual reporting across the professional circuit. He also reports regularly from events on site and has covered the PDC World Darts Championship from the venue, delivering first-hand insight throughout the tournament.
Within the newsroom, Lucas works closely with the editorial team and supports coverage alongside Chief Content Officer Samuel Gill and reporter Kieran Wood.
Lucas holds a BA (Hons) in Sports Journalism. In his work, he places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating content promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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