Eastern Freeway truck driver Mohinder Singh sentenced to 18 years over police deaths
The killer truck driver could be seen drifting across the freeway’s lanes in the lead-up to a crash that killed four police officers.
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Never-before-seen footage has revealed the Eastern Freeway truck driver drifting across lanes before he ploughed into four cops, killing them.
CCTV video released on Wednesday showed Mohinder Singh’s truck swerving across lanes of traffic on the Eastern Freeway about 10 minutes before the tragedy.
In it, the white truck can be seen on traffic cameras drifting across a lane of traffic and straddling two lanes.
Officers Lynette Taylor, Kevin King and Constables Glen Humphris and Joshua Prestney died after they stopped to pull over Richard Pusey, who was clocked speeding at 149km/h in his black Porsche.
He was urinating on the side of the road and avoided being hit.
Singh was jailed on Wednesday for 22 years in the Supreme Court of Victoria after he admitted to four counts of culpable driving causing death and six others including drug offences.
For months before the fatal crash, the 48-year-old truck driver’s drug use and delusions were spiralling out of control.
One associate used ice and GHB with Singh for between 12 to 14 hours at the Dandenong Hotel three days before the crash.
His son found him “disorientated” outside their Cranbourne home the day before the crash and Singh was pointing across the road towards a “witch” who was “messing with his head”.
There was no one there.
It was also revealed on Wednesday the truckie believed he could see ghosts since he was a child and once held a seance as a teenager where “knives were flying through the air” and a table moved.
One of his co-workers noticed he failed to reverse into a dock and told their bosses Singh wasn’t fit to drive.
The colleague told him to see a doctor but when Singh raised the issue with a supervisor before he started his shift he was shut down.
POLICE FAMILIES’ HEARTBREAKING TRIBUTE
The father of Constable Joshua Prestney has thanked Australians on behalf of the fallen officer’s, saying “our four will not be forgotten”.
Andrew Prestney thanked members of the public and first responders who comforted their loved ones with “respect and care” in their final moments.
“Even though we do not know them all, we share a history with them now and forever,” Mr Prestney said on behalf of the four families.
The heartbreaking tribute comes as the killer truck driver who crashed into the four police officers on the Eastern Freeway was sentenced to at least 18½ years behind bars.
Mohinder Singh, 47, hit and killed police officers Lynette Taylor, Glen Humphris, Josh Prestney and Kevin King on April 22 after veering his truck into the emergency lane where the officers were standing.
Mr Prestney said although justice has now been served in relation to the actual collision, “no amount of punishment can replace the loss of our loved ones and the missing place at our tables that will be felt by us for the rest of our lives”.
The families also thanked members of Victoria Police for their dedication to the investigation and the respect and care that they showed.
“Finally, we would like to thank the people of Victoria, the people of Australia, and those from around the world for their outpouring of love and for embracing us with their hearts. We are consoled by the fact that our four will not be forgotten as we continue to carry them in our hearts.”
Police Association Secretary Wayne Gatt said the four fallen officers would “never, ever be forgotten”.
Mr Gatt said he hoped Wednesday’s sentence would “put to bed one part of this horrible chapter” as they helped the families through the next stage.
Following the detailing of Singh’s behaviour in the lead up to the crash, Mr Gatt said: “anyone in that courtroom today … would have to understand that was one of the most extreme cases of culpable driving ever read out,” Mr Gatt said.
“It had one of the most extreme and catastrophic outcomes,” he said.
Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said today was a difficult day for the police force and the families – in what has been an extremely difficult year.
Assistant Commissioner Weir said the families’ statement was a testament to their character – and “to the character of the four members we’ve lost, that are a direct reflection of their families.”
“The relationship between the families and Victoria Police has been strengthened throughout this tragedy,” he said.
“We’ll continue to support the families in any way we can.”
SINGH SENTENCED TO 18 YEARS’ JAIL
Justice Paul Coghlan on Wednesday sentenced Singh to a maximum jail term of 22 years.
Singh, who has been on remand since the April 22, 2020 crash, will be eligible for parole in 17 years and six months after he spent the past year in prison.
Justice Coghlan said the “chilling” footage depicting the last moments of the four police officers’ lives revealed “they had no hope”.
“Their deaths are entirely unnecessary, and should have been avoided,” Justice Coghlan told the Supreme Court on Wednesday morning.
“Their deaths were caused by you,” he told Singh, who listened to his sentence from the dock of court five.
Justice Coghlan said many Victorians would remember the horror events of April 22 – Victoria Police’s darkest day.
“They’ll remember the reports on the evening news … they are events which shocked the public conscience,” Justice Coghlan said.
“The unnecessary loss of the lives of four serving police officers simply going about their duty is a matter of huge community sorrow and regret.”
Justice Coghlan said the grief experienced by the fallen officers’ loved ones was “profound and life changing”.
“(That grief) is heightened by the saddening and unnecessary nature of the deaths,” his honour said.
Justice Coghlan carefully detailed Singh’s “inexplicable” behaviour in the days leading up to the evening of the crash.
The court heard Singh had been sleep-deprived, drug-affected and paranoid about being followed by a witch.
Despite this, the father-of-two continued to get behind the wheel of the truck, despite admitting to colleagues he had “nodded off” while driving.
One witness who saw Singh hours before the crash said: “I’ve never seen someone as drug f---ed.
“He hadn’t slept for eight days and he was falling asleep … though he never actually slept”.
CCTV footage along the Eastern Freeway showed Singh’s refrigerated delivery truck repeatedly drifting into the emergency lanes and veering across lanes without indicating before the deadly crash.
A witness driving near the truck remarked to his mother: “this dude’s going to f---ing kill someone”.
Singh did not react or brake until after the moment of impact.
The families of the fallen officers attended the Supreme Court of Victoria to watch Justice Paul Coghlan deliver his sentence.
Earlier this month, grieving relatives came face-to-face with Singh in court to read powerful victim impact statements describing the day their lives were changed forever by his “selfish” actions.
Singh has pleaded guilty to four counts of culpable driving causing death and three charges of trafficking in a drug of dependence and one charge of possessing a drug of dependence.
The court earlier heard Singh had been doing drug deals between deliveries — and expressed concerns about his state to be driving to his boss only an hour before the deadly crash.
Join the conversation
Left to rot: ‘Gentlest’ teen Isla Bell’s brutal end
The horrific final moments of Brunswick teenager Isla Bell were captured on CCTV while her accused killer allegedly beat her on the kitchen floor of his apartment, before her body was stored in a fridge for weeks.
Read more
Four charged after major police sting nets huge cash, meth haul
Four men have been charged after police made a string of arrests among an alleged organised crime syndicate accused of importing liquid methamphetamine to prepare it for sale.
Read more