Criminal past of Eastern Fwy Porsche driver Richard Pusey laid bare in court
The criminal history of the Porsche driver at the centre of the Eastern Freeway tragedy has been revealed in court, including a jail stint for letting off a gas bottle inside a Melbourne pub. Richard Pusey also zoomed in on the dying police officers in an “abhorrent” video shot at the scene, a court has heard.
Police & Courts
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The Porsche driver at the centre of the Eastern Freeway tragedy was once a nurse who could have provided first aid instead of filming a dying policewoman, a court has heard.
Police revealed Richard Pusey’s criminal past and disregard for the law as they vehemently opposed him being granted bail in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
Detective Senior Constable Aaron Price said the mortgage broker was a danger to the public given his reckless driving history and priors for abusive and threatening behaviour.
He also dismissed claims by Mr Pusey’s barrister Vincent Peters that his client was in shock and did not help Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor because a doctor had arrived on scene.
Det Price said a shocked person would not instantly think to grab a phone to film a video, zooming in on the dying policewoman, where he “narrates it in a calm and derogatory matter”.
Det Price said Mr Pusey should have performed CPR or “comfort someone who is dying”.
“You have to be trained to do CPR, don’t you?” Mr Peters asked.
Det Price replied: “(Mr Pusey) was a registered nurse, so he has experience in first aid.”
The fact Mr Pusey, 41, was on bail at the time he was intercepted speeding at up to 149kmh in his black Porsche 911 was also an aggravating factor, Det Price said.
Leading Sen Constable Taylor, Senior Constable Kevin King, Constable Josh Prestney and Constable Glen Humphris were killed when a truck veered into the emergency lane where they had stopped Mr Pusey on April 22.
Mr Pusey has not been charged over their deaths.
Instead he is facing 12 charges including reckless conduct endangering life, failing to render assistance, destroying evidence and committing offences while on bail.
The court heard the truck driver — Mohinder Singh — charged with four counts of culpable driving was “wailing” as he paced up and down in the emergency lane following the crash.
Earlier reports said Mr Singh suffered a medical episode and “blacked out” at the scene after claiming he had veered into the emergency lane upon seeing a witch.
Mr Pusey’s extensive criminal history was laid bare in court.
In December 2018, he tried to blow up a Fitzroy pub by removing a gas bottle from a heater and placing it inside the venue before turning the valve after being asked to leave. He was convicted for reckless conduct endangering serious injury and jailed for three months.
The court also heard he was booted from a Brisbane-Melbourne Tiger Airways flight in December for aggressive and abusive behaviour.
After boarding, Mr Pusey filmed the cabin crew and when asked to stop by one of the female attendants, said: “f--- off, you fat cow”.
In other alleged incidents he sent abusive emails to a Westpac employee, tracking down their daughter’s name, and threatened a debt recovery worker that she would be “taking a six-month WorkCover holiday” if she continued to call him.
He also had a conviction for assaulting an ex-girlfriend.
Det Price said that if bailed Mr Pusey would be an unacceptable risk of further offending, including failing to answer bail, and that he “continually exhibits violent tendencies towards police and the public”.
‘‘He appears to take disturbing pleasure in causing other people fear and discomfort,” Det Price said.
Mr Peters, who said his client should be released to receive mental health treatment, said Mr Pusey was “not proud of his actions” but that his filming of the scene was “a shock reaction” from someone who was faced with “horrendous” scenes.
In an email Mr Pusey sent to a police officer later that night to detail what happened, he said: “I was driving that car. I feel very unwell. What I saw was horrific.”
He added: “I was behind the steel barrier. I saw the top of the truck and people flying. Three males died instantly. I have to sleep now as my heads a bit fuzzy.”
Magistrate Johanna Metcalfe will hand down her decision on Thursday.