A Chinese movie star accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a luxury Sydney hotel has failed his bid for bail, despite his lawyer demanding his career as ‘China’s Hugh Jackman’ would be ruined if he fled.
Yunxiang Gao, the accused actor, as well as co-accused Jing Wang, faced Central Local Court on Tuesday and were charged with aggravated sexual assault after their accuser told police she had been attacked at the Shangri-La Hotel in The Rocks last month.
Police allege the pair forced intercourse and oral sex with the woman at Mr Wang’s hotel room in the early hours of March 27.
Police told the court the evidence, including photos of the alleged victim’s bruised legs and CCTV footage that showed the men enter the room, were ‘corroborative of the complainant’s account.’
The woman reported the alleged ordeal to police almost immediately, the court heard.
Mr Gao’s defence attorney, Ian Lloyd, said: ‘[Mr Gao] denies the allegations through me and they will be strongly contested.’
Adding that his client had an ‘extremely high-profile’ as an actor in China and would comply with the strict bail conditions.
‘To even suggest he would flee the Australian justice system would make a mockery of his reputation in China. It would ruin his career,’ Lloyd said. ‘It would be, in effect, Hugh Jackman committing an offence in China and fleeing.’
Both Gao and Wang have been denied bail, and court is expected to resume on June 7.
Gao is married to Chinese actress Xuan Dong.
