Bali Nine drug smuggler Renae Lawrence skips court over high-speed police chase charges

Convicted Bali Nine drug smuggler Renae Lawrence has been excused from appearing in a NSW court to face charges over an alleged high-speed stolen car chase with police in 2005.

Lawrence, 41, was due to appear at Newcastle Local Court on Thursday, a fortnight after arriving back in Australia following her release from a Bali prison where she served 13 years’ jail for drug smuggling.

But her lawyer Drew Hamilton told magistrate Andrew Eckhold that he had contacted the court to have Lawrence excused from attending.

Mr Hamilton said there had been ‘meaningful discussions’ with police over the matter and asked for a four to six-week adjournment until after the Christmas break.

Lawrence, 41, was due to appear at Newcastle Local Court on Thursday, a fortnight after arriving back in Australia following her release from a Bali prison

Lawrence handed herself in to a Newcastle police station on November 24 to answer outstanding warrants over the alleged high-speed chase with police on March 26, 2005

Mr Eckhold agreed to adjourn the case to January 17 and indicated Lawrence would have to attend on that date if the matter was to be finalised.

Lawrence handed herself in to a Newcastle police station on November 24 to answer outstanding warrants over the alleged high-speed chase with police on March 26, 2005.

Lawrence was allegedly driving the stolen car with fellow Bali Nine member Matthew Norman.

She was caught at Bali airport a month later with 2.7kg of heroin strapped to her body and jailed for 20 years. She served 13 years after being granted sentence reductions.

The two ringleaders in the smuggling plan, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, were executed in 2015.

Her lawyer Drew Hamilton (pictured) told magistrate Andrew Eckhold that he had contacted the court to have Lawrence excused from attending.

Lawrence was caught at Bali airport with 2.7kg of heroin strapped to her body and jailed for 20 years