High-Profile Sydney Crash Case Sees Not Guilty Plea
A prominent young Chinese woman based in Sydney has entered a plea of not guilty to all charges relating to a serious traffic collision that left a driver for a famous radio host with grievous bodily harm.
Lanlan Yang, aged 23, is accused of being behind the wheel of a $1.5 million Rolls-Royce SUV when it was involved in a crash with a Mercedes on New South Head Road in the affluent suburb of Rose Bay. The incident occurred on 26 July.
Charges and Court Proceedings
The specific charges brought against Yang include dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, negligent driving (occasioning grievous bodily harm), refusing or failing to submit to a breath analysis, and not giving her particulars to police.
During the recent hearing at the local court, her solicitor, Michael Korn, formally entered a not guilty plea to all four counts. He also requested and was granted access to the brief of evidence from the New South Wales police, which is to be served by 9 January.
With the exception of her first court appearance, which was conducted via video link, Yang has been excused from personally attending subsequent hearings. Her bail conditions remain unchanged, requiring her to report regularly to her local police station.
Community Attention and Social Media Speculation
The case has drawn significant attention, particularly within the Chinese Australian community and on Chinese-language social media platforms. The focus has largely been on Yang's display of substantial wealth and widespread speculation regarding her personal background.
At earlier hearings, dozens of community observers were present. The most recent hearing saw a smaller group of seven, which included the controversial Chinese-language YouTube commentator known as 'Sydney Daddy'.
Outside the courtroom, Mr Korn acknowledged the intense public scrutiny, stating, "Obviously the matter is quite tough, it’s got a lot of attention, but we are taking to it."
The case is scheduled to return to court on 30 January for further proceedings.
