High-profile Sydney Chinese woman Lanlan Yang has pleaded not guilty to two additional charges over a crash of a $1.5m Rolls Royces SUV in Sydney’s east in July, after admitting to breach of bail last week.
The 23-year-old was accused of driving the vehicle when it collided with a Mercedes driven by George Plassaras, a driver for FM radio host Kyle Sandilands, on New South Head Road in Rose Bay on 26 July. Plassaras was left with severe injuries.
Yang has already pleaded not guilty to four charges in November, including: refusing or failing to submit to breath analysis; dangerous driving occasion grievous bodily harm – driving in a dangerous manner; not giving particulars to police; and negligent driving (occasioning grievous bodily harm).
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Last week, the prosecutor launched two new charges against Yang: dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm – driving under the influence; and driving with middle range PCA (prescribed concentration of alcohol).
The Downing Centre local court on Friday heard that Yang pleaded not guilty to the two charges. Yang was excused from appearing in court.
Last Friday, Yang appeared in court in person and admitted to breaching her bail conditions by failing to update her address. The matter was resolved after her lawyer, Michael Korn, applied for a bail review.
Last Friday was also the first time that Yang attended court in person, as Yang had only appeared via video during her first hearing, and was then excused from appearing in the following three hearings last year.
Yang had caught extraordinary media attention in Australia and China over her lavish wealth. In a previous bail application, Yang’s lawyer said she came to Australia at age 14.
In a previous interview in October, Yang’s barrister John Korn told Guardian Australia that he never asked about Yang’s family background or Yang’s nationality.
Korn also described Yang as “a very shy girl”.
The prosecutor has asked for six weeks to deal with Yang’s additional charges, after she entered a plea today.
The matter will return to court in late March.
