Richard Pusey freed on bail, banned from suburb of Fitzroy

Eastern Freeway Porsche speedster Richard Pusey has walked free on bail — but a strict ban has been slapped on the former mortgage broker.

Eastern Freeway Porsche speedster Richard Pusey has been banned from Fitzroy as he was freed on bail over allegations he terrorised his neighbours by throwing cat litter and faeces around their homes.

Magistrate David Fanning granted the former mortgage broker bail in the Neighbourhood Justice Centre on Thursday after police made no opposition to him being released back into the community.

But strict conditions were put in place including that he not enter the suburb of Fitzroy, where he was known to live and where the allegations took place.

Pusey, 43, must also reside at an address that was purposefully not said in open court, at the request of his lawyer Philip Dunn, so he can avoid media and public scrutiny.

Richard Pusey in August. Picture: Nicki Connolly

He will also be required to continue mental health treatment and counselling.

“Mr Pusey, I believe those conditions are clear and straightforward. If you wish me to clarify any of those conditions, ask me now,” Mr Fanning said.

Appearing on video link from Melbourne Remand Centre, Mr Pusey replied: “No, thank you, sir.”

Pusey was arrested over the alleged stalking of his neighbours in September, months after he was released from jail after serving his 10-month sentence for offences related to speeding and filming the horrific scene of the Eastern Freeway crash.

He had been pulled over for speeding in his Porsche when drug-affected truckie Mohinder Singh drove into the emergency lane, killing Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, First Constable Glen Humphris, Senior Constable Kevin King and Constable Joshua Prestney.

In his latest alleged offending, he is charged with two counts of stalking and four counts of assaulting an emergency worker on duty.

Richard Pusey will also be required to continue mental health treatment and counselling. Picture: Ian Currie

Court documents allege he “did stalk another person … by engaging in a course of conduct which included discarding objects, including cat litter, faeces and other food items in and around the victim’s property” from May last year until his arrest last month.

His alleged actions, including keeping surveillance of his victims, were done “with the intention of causing physical or mental harm … or arousing apprehension or fear”.

Mr Dunn argued his client should be freed so he could receive treatment that was not available to him in the prison system after being “traumatised” by the fatal truck crash that killed four officers in April last year.

“Mr Pusey was the unfortunate victim of a roadside accident in April of last year, adjacent to a number of police officers fatally injured,” Mr Dunn said.

“As a result of that he’s been quite traumatised — and, as a result of that, he unfortunately finished up in custody for a very long period of time.

“He needs professional help to get himself back on balance.”

Mr Dunn also cited delays and onerous conditions in custody due to the coronavirus pandemic as compelling reasons for his client’s release, saying he was at risk of spending more time in custody on remand than any sentence if the charges were proven.

He said Pusey had agreed not to enter Fitzroy “until these matters are concluded” and would reside at an address in “regional Victoria”.

Mr Dunn noted “triable issues” in the case, including questions around whether it was Pusey who even set up a surveillance camera police allege was being used by him to follow his neighbours’ movements in September.

He said they would also question who put nitrous oxide capsules all over the ground.

“Was it Mr Pusey or somebody else?” Mr Dunn said. “We say all these things are triable issues.”