Penrith Panthers winger Taylan May has been found guilty of an assault charge.
May was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm in April over an incident which occurred last November in Queensland.
May was on leave from the Panthers at the time of the incident following the 2021 premiership-winning season for the Panthers.
The winger was found guilty of the charge in court on Wednesday, but his sentence saw no conviction recorded and a penalty which stands as a fine of $1000, as well as $1000 to be paid in compensation to the victim.
May has been ordered to pay $1000 in compensation to the victim and a $1000 fine. No conviction was recorded. @7NewsBrisbane @7NewsSC
— Sarah Cawte (@sarahcawte) August 31, 2022
In Queensland, where the incident occurred, the maximum penalty for "assault occasioning actual bodily harm" is seven years in prison. In New South Wales, the maximum penalty is five years.
At the time of the charge, the NRL didn't invoke the no-fault stand-down policy against May. The policy applies to any player where the maximum possible sentence is 11 years or greater, or at the discretion of the NRL.
The Western Weekender reports that the court heard during the week of sitting the victim was approaching Penrith players throughout the evening in a Maroochydore pub asking for videos and photos. Players reported his behaviour to security, who asked the man to stop, prior to the incident taking place.
Penrith stood by May after reviewing footage of the incident at the time, captured via CCTV.
May has been rested alongside 12 teammates for this week's game against the North Queensland Cowboys, however, it's now unclear whether he will take any part in the finals series with the NRL yet to comment.
