Kookai fashion queen Danielle Vagner didn’t think hit-run was ‘a big deal’, Melbourne court hears
Kookai fashion queen Danielle Vagner has faced court over the incident which saw her crash into a home and drive her Range Rover on its rims through South Yarra.
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Kookai fashion queen Danielle Vagner has pleaded guilty to seven charges over the incident which saw her crash into a home and drive her Range Rover on its rims through South Yarra.
The style mogul, co-founder of the Aussie fashion house, estimated to be worth $100 million, was almost twice the drink drive limit during a bizarre sequence of driving events on June 12 last year at 4.50pm.
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The Melbourne Magistrates’ Court was today told the mother-of-two drank three glasses of Rose by herself at Toorak’s Caffe e Cuccina before going to the dentist.
Vagner had downed three Valium tablets the night before to help her cope with tooth pain and help her sleep.
Defence lawyer, Bob Galbally, submitted a note from the dentist which said: “She didn’t seem all there. This would be the affect of Valium in my opinion.”
Mr Galbally told the court the driving behaviour was out of character and couldn’t all be blamed on alcohol.
“She has probably been affected by medication and sleep deprivation,” he said.
“She failed to comprehend what was going on around her.”
The Melbourne Magistrates’ Court heard she slammed her Range Rover into the fence of a South Yarra home before driving off without stopping or leaving details, leaving her car in a mangled state.
Police prosecutor Kai Schulz said PSOs who saw the crash gave chase on foot after she drove off.
“(The PSOs) ran after the vehicle to warn the public of dangers of her driving,” he said.
As Vagner manoeuvred the SUV through several streets and laneways, with both front airbags deployed, her front tyre had come off, forcing the rim to scrape the concrete. At one stage she got out of the car and put the tyre on the front passenger seat.
She eventually came to a stop where police were called.
Her explanation for the driving off from the crash: “I didn’t think it was a big deal,” she told police.
A witness filmed her driving and in the video, one man can be heard yelling at Vagner saying: “Stop driving you are off your head.”
After the crash, the 53-year-old from Toorak admitted herself to Malvern Private Hospital to help her address medical issues, banned herself from driving and paid the homeowners a confidential cash settlement to repair the damage.
The homeowners previously estimated the damage to the home to be $200,000.
Mr Galbally said what started the series of events was that after she crashed into the fence, she wanted to move the car off the nature strip as she deemed it unsafe.
“She hasn’t hit anybody. She hasn’t nearly hit anybody. She has stopped her car before being intercepted by police,” he said.
“She has driven at low speed, she hasn’t collided with any objects along the way.”
Vagner, who co-owns the Kookai chain, which has 39 stores across Australia, with her ex husband Rob Cromb, will return to court on March 6 for sentencing.
She will be assessed for community based order in the meantime.