Porsche driver Richard Pusey ‘most hated man in Australia’
A Porsche driver has been labelled as ‘probably the most hated man in Australia’ for filming police officers dying after a horrific crash.
WARNING: Disturbing content
The Porsche driver who filmed dead and dying police officers following a horrifying truck crash is “probably the most hated man in Australia”, a judge has said.
Richard Pusey appeared via video link for a pre-sentence hearing on Wednesday after admitting to outraging public decency for filming the horrific scene after the Eastern Freeway crash on April 22 last year.
Senior Constables Lynette Taylor and Kevin King and Constables Glen Humphris and Josh Prestney died, but the 42-year-old Porsche driver avoided injury.
Families and friends of the officers packed the gallery in the County Court to hear about took place on the day of the fatal crash.
During the hearing the judge acknowledged the press coverage of the case and the public reaction and condemnation of Pusey’s actions.
“They have demonised him to the point where he is probably the most hated man in Australia,” Judge Trevor Wraight told the court.
The former mortgage broker was pulled over after the officers clocked him speeding in his black Porsche at 149km/h and were having a discussion about whether to impound the car.
At 5.36pm drug affected and sleep-deprived truck driver Mohinder Singh veered into the group but missed Pusey, who was urinating on the side of the road.
While others rushed to help the four officers, Pusey used his phone to film two videos for more than three minutes.
Graphic new details emerged in court of the commentary the businessman said as he filmed the officers.
Pusey zoomed in on the face and body of Senior Constable Taylor as she lay “moaning” at the crash site, the court was told.
“Absolutely amazing,” Pusey said as he filmed the dying woman.
He continued to walk around the scene, zooming on the injuries and faces of the other officers and the damaged vehicles.
“That is f***ing justice … That is f***ing amazing,” Pusey said as he filmed the destroyed police vehicles.
He described one of the dead officers as being “smashed” and said “you f***ing c***s, you c***s, I guess I’ll be getting a f***ing Uber home, huh”.
Other witnesses at the scene implored Pusey to help but instead he shrugged and said: “they’re dead”.
A visibly upset policewoman left the courtroom after hearing the remarks.
However Judge Wraight labelled his actions “bizarre” but noted he was not taunting the police officers, which the prosecutors did not dispute.
“He’s making a commentary for the video not to other people at the scene,” he said.
Defence lawyer Dermot Dann QC said Pusey was ashamed of his actions and wanted to apologise to the families of the officers for the “horrible things” he said.
“He does apologise for the distress he caused to the families,” Mr Dann said.
The barrister said he was in shock at the time he filmed the accident and later went to see a doctor about the crash and had since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Pusey also has a complex personality disorders with anti-authority issues and had tried repeatedly to get help, Mr Dann said.
He argued the driver should be spared further jail time and could be released on a community corrections order with nine months already served.
Pusey’s early plea of guilty, the harsh conditions in prison due to coronavirus and mental health issues should be taken into account as mitigating factors in the sentence.
The lawyer said the level of press coverage was also an additional form of punishment for his client.
However prosecutor Robyn Harper said Pusey must have known filming the scene was wrong.
“To video record anyone in their dying moments and after death is a serious example of offensive behaviour,” she told the judge.
“It is repugnant, it is abhorrent, the adjectives flow.”
She said further jail time was warranted because of his driving in March of that year when he sped in excess of 100 km/ph and was weaving in and out of traffic.
Pusey admitted to one charge of reckless conduct endangering serious injury in relation to that speeding offence. He also pleaded guilty to possessing MDMA as well as ketamine.
In a police record of interview after he handed himself in, Pusey said he had a personality disorder and the videos shouldn’t be taken as “derogatory and horrible”.
“It sounds like and it is but that’s how sh*t comes out of my head. I’m highly offensive,” he told police after handing himself in the day after the crash.
The judge said he would have him assessed for a a community corrections order, which would allow him to serve his sentence out in the community.
Pusey will find out his sentence in late April.