Melbourne Highway Tragedy: Victoria Police oppose Porsche driver’s bail request

Porsche driver Richard Pusey allegedly filmed the dying police for three minutes and eight seconds, but “did not attempt to assist in any way,” a court has heard.

He allegedly shot two videos, “enlarged” and “walked straight to” chief police officer Lynette Taylor, dying as she moaned and mocked her in a “very derogatory manner.”

“There is certainly evidence that one of the officers was alive (during filming),” Police Detective Aaron Price told the Melbourne Magistrates Court this morning.

“He filmed on a quiet matter. There is no evidence of shock in his comments.”

New disturbing details of the moments after a truck crashed into Taylor and three other Victoria Police officers alongside the East Melbourne Expressway last month were revealed when Pusey applied for bail.

The bail hearing was adjourned for a decision Thursday.

Dressed in a gray sweater and wearing a face mask and gloves, the 41-year-old sat motionless on the dock and stared at the ground for long periods of time.

He listened as police charged him with three new charges and described his actions after the truck crashed into officers and destroyed his 2006 Porsche, actions they say “can only be described as abominable.”

Price said that Pusey not only failed to help dying agents, but returned to his car and grabbed two cell phones and a bag that allegedly carried drugs.

On one of the phones, he allegedly filmed two videos, but tried to trick the police the next day when he handed them a phone that had been restored to its factory settings.

“The defendant had intentionally given the police the wrong phone that had been restored to factory settings,” Price said.

Taylor, Senior Agent Kevin King, Agent Glen Humphris and Josh Prestney were killed on the afternoon of April 22 when they were trying to confiscate Pusey’s car.

He had been stopped for allegedly driving at speeds of up to 149 km / h when the truck veered toward the group.

The Fitzroy mortgage broker who allegedly tested positive for cannabis and ice was urinating next to his car when the accident happened and was uninjured.

Camera images of Taylor’s body captured Pusey saying, “All I wanted to do was go home and eat my sushi, and now you’ve broken my car.”

Pusey is charged with driving at dangerous speed, reckless behavior that is life-threatening, failure to provide assistance, destruction of evidence, drug possession, failing to stay after a drug test, and committing a prosecution while on bail. .

Today, he received new charges, including two counts of perverting the course of justice and one count related to drug offenses.

Pusey’s attorney revealed the content of an email his client sent to police the night of the accident.

“Hi Kira, I was driving that car,” the email started.

“I feel very bad because what I saw was horrible. I went to the doctors and he asked me to see him in the morning. Three men died instantly. (Sen Const Taylor) was in shock. She was a good lady. There was a doctor on the scene in seconds. I was behind the steel barrier just before the truck came in. I have to sleep now because my head is a little fuzzy. “

His lawyer said his client “was not proud” of taking the video.

Pusey’s alleged driving record was presented in court. Police said a fellow student was boasted by text message about speeding, saying. “I did 300” and “apparently (the vehicle) will do 350km / h.”

They said the video footage showed him driving at speeds of more than 240 km / h.

In opposing bail, police say Pusey “has absolutely no regard for the safety of other road users” and “the police believe that if the accused were released on bail, he would continue his driving behavior unwise”.

Victoria’s Chief Police Commissioner Graham Ashton made it clear that the police would oppose a bail request.

“We are waiting for a request for bail, I think it is Monday,” he told reporters on Friday.

“We will oppose that.

“The actions we alleged against him were of a very high level … so we would say that this is in the public interest.”

Trucker Mohinder Singh remains in custody on four guilty driving charges that killed the officers.

Private funerals were held for the four officers, and Melbourne’s landmarks were bathed in blue light for a grim reflection on the biggest loss of police lives in a single incident in Victoria’s history.

The bond request will be heard after 9.30 a.m.