P-plater accused of Wallsend Knights crash faces eight more charges

The 18-year-old P-plater accused of driving into a crowd of Knights fans at Wallsend has been charged with eight more offences, bringing the total to 17.

Indika Bambrick Samarasinghe was charged on Tuesday with six additional counts of causing bodily harm by misconduct, one count of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm (GBH) and one count of negligent driving occasioning GBH.

He was initially charged on the night of Saturday, October 3, with nine offences: three counts each of dangerous driving occasioning GBH, negligent driving occasioning GBH, and causing bodily harm by misconduct.

The new charges mean he faces four counts each of dangerous driving occasioning GBH and negligent driving occasioning GBH, and nine counts of causing bodily harm by misconduct.

Ten people, including three children, were injured when a BMW convertible left the roundabout on Newcastle Link Road at Transfield Avenue and ploughed into spectators about 9.30am on October 3.

They had lined the road to farewell the Knights' team bus ahead of the NRL grand final.

A five-year-old girl and a 67-year-old man were critically injured.

The girl's condition was reported to have improved in the days after the crash, and police have not released further details about her.

The man, Wallsend barber Dave Martin, remains in John Hunter Hospital in a stable condition, along with one other male patient.

At Samarasinghe's bail hearing on Friday, October 9, police told Newcastle Local Court that more charges were expected as investigations continued into further alleged victims.

Police were also looking into reports Samarasinghe had been seen driving dangerously on Newcastle Link Road before the crash.

Judge Trevor Khan granted Samarasinghe bail, ruling that "emotion should not rule the day".

He was released to the family home at Randwick, where he lives with his mother.

His conditions include reporting to police daily, a curfew, not driving, and staying out of the Newcastle area.

Samarasinghe, who has not been required to enter pleas, is due to appear in Newcastle Local Court via video link on Thursday, October 15.