Penrith Panthers winger Taylan May has been arrested and charged with domestic violence offences. The arrest took place on Saturday morning, as confirmed by the NSW Police and reported by the ABC. The incident involves allegations that May punched a woman known to him during an argument in April.
According to a statement from NSW Police, officers from the Nepean Police Area Command arrested the 22-year-old man at an address in Penrith around 5 am on Saturday, May 18, 2024. The alleged domestic violence incident occurred last month, on the evening of Monday, April 8, 2024. During an argument at a home in Werrington, it is claimed that May assaulted the woman by punching her in the face and leg.
May has been charged with “assault occasioning actual bodily harm (DV)” and two counts of “stalk/intimidate intend fear physical etc harm (DV).” He has been granted bail and is scheduled to appear before Penrith Local Court on Tuesday, May 28.
The Penrith Panthers are set to play against the Warriors during the Magic Round in Brisbane on Sunday afternoon, but May has not traveled with the team and is not expected to participate in the game. The club has issued a statement acknowledging the charges and confirming that they have informed the NRL Integrity Unit. The Panthers have pledged to cooperate fully with the ongoing process but will not comment further as it is a legal matter.
NRL CEO Andrew Abdo also commented on the incident during an appearance on commercial radio on Saturday. He acknowledged the seriousness of the charges and expressed regret that such an issue had arisen. Speaking to Triple M, Abdo mentioned that the NRL is reviewing the details of the charges and will determine the appropriate course of action in the coming days.
Abdo emphasized that the NRL has clear policies for handling such situations and that the league will respect the legal process while moving forward once more information is available.
