Lanlan Yang, a 23-year-old Chinese heiress, has been hit with an additional charge of negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm following a high-profile Rolls-Royce crash in Sydney's eastern suburbs. The incident occurred on 26 July when Yang allegedly drove a $1.5m SUV head-on into a car driven by George Plassaras, a driver for radio host Kyle Sandilands.
Yang initially faced charges of causing bodily harm by misconduct and refusing a breath test, but the former has since been withdrawn. She now also faces charges of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm and failing to provide police with her details. The new negligent driving charge was confirmed in Downing Centre local court on Friday.
Yang's solicitor, John Korn, requested a delay in entering a plea, stating that the defence team was only notified of all charges this week. The court granted the delay but ordered Yang to enter a plea at the next mention. Korn noted that Yang was excused from attending court.
The case has drawn significant media attention due to Yang's apparent wealth, with around 100 Chinese Australians queuing outside court for her first mention in August. Yang remains on bail with a condition to report to the police station weekly, and Korn must lodge a formal application regarding bail conditions for the new charges.
