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Penrith Panthers player Taylan May will fight allegations that he punched his wife in the face and later stalked her.
The 22-year-old NRL centre pleaded not guilty to three domestic violence-related charges when he appeared in court for the first time on Tuesday.
Mr May was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two counts of stalking or intimidating another person with the intention of causing them to fear physical or mental harm.
He allegedly assaulted Jessica May by punching her in the face during an altercation on the night of April 8.
Mr May was arrested more than a month later after allegedly stalking or intimidating her during the night.
The rising rugby league player was granted bail before his initial appearance at Penrith Local Court, where he sat clutching rosary beads as he watched lawyer Abdul Reslan stand in his defence.
Mr May said “no comment” to reporters waiting outside court after he formally entered a not-guilty plea to the charges.
He was stood down indefinitely by the NRL on May 23 under the game’s no-fault stand-down policy, which excludes him from playing until his court case is finalised.
Mr May could continue to receive full pay for the duration of the court proceedings under the policy’s rules.
He recently signed a two-year extension at Penrith Panthers worth close to $1.5 million, a deal that hangs in the balance with the pending case.
Following Mr May’s arrest, the Panthers said in a statement the club would “continue to provide support to all parties involved”.
The Penrith player debuted in August 2021 after progressing through the club’s junior pathways, including playing for local club the Minchinbury Jets.
Mr May missed the 2023 NRL season after sustaining an ACL injury while playing against UK club St Helens at the World Club Challenge.
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AAP
