Darren Taylor: Sydney chef appeals sexual touching, assault at Bar Rex Christmas party

A court has upheld findings that an esteemed chef sexually touched a woman’s breast and bit another woman’s arm at an alcohol-fuelled Christmas party in 2019.

Darren Taylor arrives at the Downing Centre Court in Sydney in 2020. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Joel Carrett

A Sydney court has upheld findings that an esteemed chef sexually touched a woman’s breast and bit another woman’s arm at an alcohol-fuelled Christmas party in 2019, despite a three-year legal battle to defend his name.

Paddington man Darren Taylor, who previously worked as an executive chef at some of the city’s most prestigious restaurants including Bilson’s, appeared before acting Judge Stephen Walmsley at Downing Centre District Court on Friday to appeal three guilty verdicts.

After Covid delayed the proceedings, Taylor was found guilty in Downing Centre Local Court in July 2022 of three charges, sexually touch another person without consent; assault occasioning actual bodily harm; and common assault.

The court heard evidence in 2020 of Taylor’s sexual touching and assault of two women at Bistro Rex at Potts Point on 18 December 2019.

Witnesses told the court during the hearing before Magistrate Michael Antrum that Taylor had groped the breasts of two women, pinched one of them and bit another on the arm. The court heard how a woman reported to police that Taylor said, words to the effect of, “you both have beautiful breasts, I just want to touch them, I just want to grab them”.

Award-winning Chef Darren Taylor (left) is seen leaving Downing Centre in 2020 with high-profile lawyer Bryan Wrench. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Taylor’s guilty verdicts for sexual touching and assault occasioning actual bodily harm saw him sentenced to 18-month community correction order. He was convicted of sexual touching, but avoided a conviction for the assault. He appealed both the guilty findings and the severity of his sentence.

On Friday, the District Court heard Taylor had agreed that “from time to time” he pinched people and would mention “mozzies”, however he denied pinching one of the victim’s and only recalled pinching the other “twice”.

Darren Taylor. Photo: Instagram

Judge Walsmley told the court during the course of the night, “there was gin and tonic [involved as well as] beer … number of glasses of wine, champagne and tequila shots”.

Judge Walmsley dismissed Taylor’s appeal against two of the guilty findings, but upheld the appeal on the charge of common assault.

Judge Walmsley acknowledged the victim who was bitten by Taylor “complained about the event the next day, [had] photographic evidence” which was sent to a colleague and the incident being witnessed by the other victim.

The court heard for the sexual touching charge, Judge Walmsley found the victim was consistent with her story. He said there was evidence indicating she called her father to pick her up after Taylor touched her breast.

“His honour noted the restaurant was busy … but, because someone did not see something, doesn’t mean it did not happen,” Judge Walmsley said.

However, Judge Walmsley dismissed the guilty verdict for common assault, telling the court he agreed with barrister Philip Strickland’s submissions that Taylor grabbing the victim’s dress strap was a non-hostile act.

“His honour (Magistrate Antrum) said the appellant accepted it was inappropriate conduct,” Judge Walmsley said.

“Mr Strickland said this was wrong … [but it was] something that he would not ordinarily do … I do not find this count [proven beyond reasonable doubt].”

The matter was ultimately adjourned to June 29 where a severity appeal will be heard before Judge Walmsley.

The court will hear submissions from Taylor’s defence counsel, including high-profile lawyer Bryan Wrench and Mr Strickland, who indicated they would be seeking for their client’s conviction for sexual touching to be overturned.

Mr Wrench told the court there was “no history” of sexual touching on his client’s record.

Taylor is well-known in Sydney’s culinary community and now runs a catering company called Harvest.