A Penrith participant has been found guilty of assaulting a fan of a rival NRL workforce at a Queensland pub as Panthers players celebrated profitable final yr’s grand closing.
NRL rising star Taylan May, 21, pleaded not guilty to the assault in Maroochydore Magistrates Court docket firstly of his trial this week.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Particulars of Taylan May’s assault of fan revealed in court docket
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He was accused of assaulting the person, a supporter of crushed grand finalists South Sydney, on the Duporth Tavern on the Sunshine Coast in October 2021.
The Justice of the Peace seen footage taken on the sufferer’s cell phone exhibiting him swearing and exhibiting his center finger to a bunch of Panthers players.
CCTV footage from the venue was additionally performed in court docket.
It confirmed May, who has began in 20 NRL video games this yr on the wing, grabbing the person from behind and pulling him to the bottom.
Nevertheless May’s defence workforce argued he might have been provoked.
A pub safety guard testified that the sufferer was heard verbally abusing the players and was warned to cease harassing them.
The incident occurred 5 days after Penrith received the NRL premiership by beating the Rabbitohs at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium. May didn’t play within the recreation.
On Wednesday, a Justice of the Peace found him guilty of assault occasioning bodily hurt, labelling the act “reprehensible” and “cowardly”.
May has been ordered to pay $1000 in compensation to the sufferer on high of a $1000 high quality.
No conviction was recorded.
