Taylan May, a former NRL player for the Penrith Panthers, had domestic violence charges against him dropped after the complainant, his wife, failed to appear in court. May, 23, had been accused of assaulting her and faced charges of actual bodily harm, stalking, and intimidation arising from incidents earlier in the year. Prior to his court date, police had stopped him multiple times in one day, raising concerns about over-policing him amidst the ongoing case.
Following his not guilty plea, the wife and a key witness both failed to attend the hearing. While a medical certificate was submitted for the absence of the witness, police could not reach the complainant. The prosecutor sought to postpone the case, but May’s barrister argued no new evidence would likely emerge in the future. The magistrate concluded that the situation wouldn’t change, which led prosecutors to withdraw all charges.
May has been absent from the NRL since being stood down under the league’s no-fault policy related to his legal troubles. In July, he was released from the Panthers after expressing intentions to sue the club for contract termination. Despite the resolution of the charges, May is still under an apprehended violence order valid for six months, although allegations about breaches were dropped due to changes in the order that permitted contact under specific conditions.
Notably, May’s wife had previously sought to relax the terms of the order and indicated a desire to drop charges against him, as noted by his lawyer. In court, the defence highlighted an excessive police focus on May, who was reportedly stopped six times in a short span before the court appearance. A representative from the NRL integrity unit attended the proceedings, and there are reports that an unnamed club could be interested in signing May post-release from the Panthers. Despite the legal hurdles, May left court smiling, showing signs of relief.
Support services for those affected by such issues are available, including the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service via 1800RESPECT.