Lanlan Yang, 23, appeared via video link at Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Friday, where her barrister John Korn requested a further adjournment of her case. Yang is accused of driving a $1.5m Rolls-Royce Cullinan head-on into a car driven by George Plassaras, a driver for radio host Kyle Sandilands, in Sydney's eastern suburbs on 26 July. Plassaras suffered serious injuries.
Yang has been charged with refusing or failing to submit to breath analysis, dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, not giving particulars to police, and negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm. The court had previously instructed her to enter pleas at Friday's mention, but Korn told the court that after communicating with the New South Wales Police prosecutor, there might be changes to the charges. The prosecutor confirmed no amendments to existing charges but said police were verifying whether an additional charge would be laid.
When the registrar noted it had been three months since the case was first mentioned, Korn said the delay was because 'the prosecution is not in a position to accept a plea'. The court granted the adjournment, and Yang was excused from attending in person at the next hearing.
The case has attracted significant media attention in Australia and China. About a dozen people from the Chinese community queued outside the court from 8am on Friday, some saying they followed the case through Chinese political influencers on YouTube. Korn said Yang's family background was 'completely irrelevant' to his work and that he had never asked her about it. He described her as 'a very shy girl' and said the media attention 'doesn't help her'.
