AN Irish woman accused of stealing over $50,000 from a senior Vogue magazine editor has pleaded not guilty at a court in New York.
Yvonne Bannigan, 24, was the personal assistant of the fashion publication's creative editor-at-large, Grace Coddington, between 2016 and 2018.
Ms Bannigan, who is originally from Dublin, rejected a plea deal when she appeared at Manhattan Supreme Court this week.
She is charged with five counts of grand larceny - which is defined as the theft of over $1,000 under US law.
It's alleged that Ms Bannigan made $53,564 in unsanctioned purchases using her boss's credit card.
She is also accused of pocketing over $9,000 from the online sale of Ms Coddington’s second-hand goods.
The plea deal would have instructed the Irish native to pay back the entire amount that is alleged to have been stolen and admit her guilt.
'Misunderstanding'
However, Ms Bannigan's attorney Michael Cornacchia told the court his client refused the deal because she is innocent.
"This is the beginning of addressing the charges and mounting Yvonne’s defense which we believe will ultimately lead to her being found innocent of all accusations," he said.
The dispute arose in April this year when Ms Coddington allegedly discovered the credit card transactions and confronted Bannigan.
Ms Bannigan insists that the purchases were legitimate and claims the matter is "all a misunderstanding".
She told Ms Coddington to go the police if she had any concerns, which resulted in Bannigan being charged in May.
The charges of grand larceny carry a maximum sentence of up to 20 years behind bars.
Ms Bannigan will return to court on November 7 when her lawyers will submit a motion to dismiss the case.
The Dubliner, who is a naturalised US citizen, studied fashion at the London College of Fashion before working as Ms Coddington's PA.
She has held a number of high-profile internships, beginning in her native city before moving to ELLE magazine in New York.
