Porsche driver Richard Pusey to make bid for freedom

Jailed Porsche driver Richard Pusey — who filmed the Eastern Freeway crash scene where police officers lay dying — is set to make a bid for bail as he faces more charges.

The Porsche driver jailed over his repugnant filming of the Eastern Freeway crash scene where four police officers were killed is set to argue he should be released back into the community.

Pusey’s legal team have lodged an application for bail with the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, which will be heard on August 23.

It comes as he ditched his old legal representation and hired highly regarded Melbourne barrister Rainer Martini.

Mr Martini appeared via video link in the court on Tuesday as Pusey’s case was called relating to an alleged assault on his wife at their Fitzroy home, which ended in police arresting him on the roof, on December 28.

Richard Pusey. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Pusey, 42, was not in the online hearing due to a technical issue.

But Mr Martini told the court he had only started acting for Pusey last month and would need more time to help resolve his matters.

He said he had been discussing with Pusey prosecution plea offers and counter offers.

“I was formally engaged about three weeks ago,” Mr Martini said.

“There were issues with obtaining the briefs of evidence from the previous solicitors, and also funding, which was only secured last week.

“I need to engage my client more on the offers and if they are accepted or not.”

He asked that the case be adjourned to August 23 to marry up with Pusey’s two other matters before the courts, including a single charge of criminal damage where he allegedly used a key to scratch a motorbike following a road rage incident in March 2019.

Pusey is also facing four counts of using a carriage service to menace after he allegedly fired off a series of threatening emails to a Westpac bank worker he had been dealing with regarding multiple credit card disputes in August 2019.

Mr Martini said a “lengthy” bail application would also be made on that day.

In April, Pusey was jailed for 10 months and placed on a two-year good behaviour bond after he pleaded guilty to outraging public decency, reckless conduct endangering serious injury, possessing drugs of dependence and speeding.

Richard Pusey arrives at his Fitzroy home. Picture: Ian Currie

The mortgage broker had been stopped by police for speeding on the Eastern Freeway when a truck — driven by drug-addled Mohinder Singh — veered into the emergency lane, killing four police officers on April 22 last year.

Pusey filmed Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, Senior Constable Kevin King, Constable Josh Prestney and Constable Glen Humphris as they lay dying or dead on the freeway, at one point remarking “that’s justice”.

With time already served on remand, Pusey was eligible to walk free having completed his sentence in early May.

But he has had to remain behind bars, pending his other charges.

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