Judge astounded by ‘puzzling’ Pusey call

A judge has slammed the attitude of Corrections authorities who regard the Eastern Freeway Porsche driver as “beyond rehabilitation”.

Richard Pusey outside his Fitzroy property. Picture: AAP

A judge says he can free Eastern Freeway Porsche driver Richard Pusey from jail on a community-based order, despite Corrections Victoria saying it wants nothing to do with him.

County Court judge ­Trevor Wraight will sentence Pusey on Wednesday, a day after Corrections told the court the millionaire menace who filmed a dying police-woman in the Eastern Freeway tragedy crash last year was “beyond rehabilitation” and unsuitable for a community correction order.

They said Pusey’s unpopularity made him too hard for it to manage.

That call was slammed by the judge, who described it as “disturbing”.

He said Corrections staff dealt with crooks from violent offenders to paedophiles with “bad attitudes” daily.

“I am just astounded by the attitude of Corrections,” Judge Wraight said.

“It is really an attitude that is because of the media attention he has received, that somehow that is going to be a problem for them.

The scene of the Eastern Freeway crash. Picture: David Crosling

“The attitude of Corrections is, he is beyond rehabilitation. I would hope they are not treating him any differently to any other defendant.

“But it appears that they are. It’s very disappointing.”

Judge Wraight remarked in a hearing last month how it appeared Pusey had ­become “the most hated man in Australia”.

The judge had Pusey ­assessed for a CCO as he considered his options on how to punish him for his reckless driving and callous filming of the horrific aftermath of the crash scene in which four police officers were killed.

A CCO is designed to have a perpetrator be under the watchful eye of a Corrections case worker in the community, with conditions including undergoing treatment for drug, alcohol and mental health, or completing behaviour management courses.

Richard Pusey after being released on bail. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Pusey’s barrister Dermot Dann QC also attacked the Corrections verdict on Pusey.

“It comes very close to saying this man is too high- profile, too challenging for its office,” he said.

“They don’t want to deal with him.”

Pusey, 42, has never been charged with being responsible for the deaths of Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, Senior Constable Kevin King, Constable Josh Prestney and Constable Glen Humphris.

He had been stopped by the officers for speeding when a truck — driven by drug-addled Mohinder Singh — veered into the emergency lane where the officers were standing on April 22 last year.

Pusey last month pleaded guilty to outraging public decency, reckless conduct endangering serious injury and possessing drugs of dependence. Mr Dann said if a CCO was not an option, Pusey should be placed on a good behaviour bond, as “he has done enough jail”.

The judge said despite the attitude of Corrections, “I can still order a CCO”.