Csaba Somogyi accused of Manilla fatal crash near Borah Creek lodges bid to travel overseas before Tamworth trial

Csaba Somogyi was due to appear in Tamworth District Court on Friday morning with his solicitor for an application to change his bail.

The case was called and Judge Andrew Coleman said the Crown had already signalled it will oppose the variation.

When the defence did not appear, Judge Coleman agreed to stand it over to allow more time before the court heard the defence had misunderstood the timing.

Somogyi has pleaded not guilty to one charge of dangerous driving occasioning death.

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He faces one allegation of negligent driving as a back-up offence.

The charges stem from a fatal crash during the Riverina Redneck Rally - a charity event raising money for kids with cancer - near Manilla more than two years ago.

The court was told last week Somogyi had travelled overseas earlier this year.

When quizzed by Judge Coleman this week, solicitor Michael Bowe said essentially "again he wants to do the same thing".

The court was told the trial, which was not reached at an earlier sittings in Tamworth, was set down for February next year.

"He wants to go on the 7th January, to the end of the month, 31 January," Mr Bowe told the court.

"He's going for one conference."

But Judge Coleman asked why he was planning on going for so long.

"He does have family in Hungary and his mother died this year," Mr Bowe said.

"That was one of the reasons we granted the variation last time," Judge Coleman replied.

The application was stood over again and has been adjourned for hearing.

The Crown case is that Somogyi was behind the wheel of a hatchback near Borah Creek when it crashed about 1pm on March 5, 2020.

The 49-year-old passenger tragically died at the scene, and Somogyi also suffered injuries.

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