CCTV captures Porsche driver Richard Pusey in parking dispute outburst
CCTV footage shows the moment the Porsche driver, who filmed dying police officers, got out of the car to allegedly assault another driver in a dispute.
A Porsche driver who admitted filming dead and dying police officers in the Eastern Freeway crash tragedy was caught on camera allegedly stealing the keys of another driver after a parking dispute.
Richard Pusey appeared via videolink at Melbourne’s Neighbourhood Justice Centre on Thursday charged with theft and unlawful assault in relation to the incident on October 2018.
Footage aired in court shows Pusey in his white BMW waiting for a taxi to leave a parking space on Russell Street in the CBD.
When the cab leaves Mr Pusey tries to back into space but another vehicle tries to park in the same spot.
Pusey can then be seen jumping out of the BMW sedan and speaking to the other driver.
He raises his arms before he leans into the other car’s window which is when police allege he grabbed the driver’s keys.
He then returns to his car with the man’s keys and leaves the scene.
Instead of letting his lawyer Vincent Peters do the talking in court on Thursday, the 42-year-old repeatedly interrupted the court to share his side of the story.
Pusey spoke as the prosecutor shared CCTV of the incident.
“Just for the record that’s a 15-minute parking zone and the taxi has just yielded to me, the white cab. Just politely asking him if he could move forward into the disabled zone,” Mr Pusey told the court.
“There’s also a second camera …” he started to say before magistrate Lance Martin intervened.
The magistrate said it was “inappropriate” he address the court.
His lawyer told the court Pusey would fight the charges, arguing he didn’t assault the driver and didn’t steal the keys.
Instead Pusey removed the keys from the ignition and took them to South Melbourne police station because the alleged victim became aggressive, the court heard.
“(Pusey) felt the man wasn’t in a condition to drive,” Mr Peters said.
Police allege the unlawful assault charge stemmed from the “threatening nature and fear of assault” the alleged victim felt from Pusey.
Pusey interrupted again later in the proceedings as the prosecutors sought an earlier date for a contested hearing.
“Can I please explain I’ve been to court several times myself … and I’ve requested the prosecution email your office and Ms Tonkin the informant …” he told the court.
But the magistrate had enough of the accused man’s outbursts.
“I’m going to have him placed on mute because this is unacceptable to have conversations coming in from all angles,” Mr Martin said.
Pusey’s lawyer told the court his legal team was working to resolve the parking dispute charges because the proceedings related to the “unfortunate death of four police officers” were due to finish in April.
Pusey admitted to outraging public decency for filming the horrific aftermath after the Eastern Freeway crash on April 22 last year.
Four police officers were killed when a truck driven by drug-addled driver Mohinder Singh crashed into the group, who had pulled Mr Pusey over for speeding.
He was urinating on the side of the road and was not struck in the crash but in the aftermath filmed it and made vulgar comments.
The driver is due to be sentenced in relation to those matters next month.
Pusey was also facing a charge of destruction of property in relation to dropping a “a pack of stubbies” on the floor of a Fitzroy bottle shop, the court was told.
Before the magistrate appeared on the bench, Pusey referred to himself as “Australia’s most hated man”.
The case is expected to return to court on May 6.