Porsche driver Richard Pusey allegedly told dying officer all he wanted was sushi - Sydney Morning Herald

Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, Constable Glen Humphris, Senior Constable Kevin King and Constable Josh Prestney were killed.

Senior Constable Kevin King, Constable Josh Prestney, Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor and Constable Glen Humphris.

Mr Pusey was charged on Thursday night with numerous offences including driving at a dangerous speed, reckless conduct endangering life, failing to remain after a drug test, failing to render assistance, failing to exchange details and possessing a drug of dependence.

He is also charged with the destruction of evidence and three counts of committing an indictable offence while on bail.

He faced Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday morning, wearing the same jumper he was in when he was taken into custody.

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In an unusual move, homicide squad Detective Senior Constable Aaron Price asked Magistrate Donna Bakos if he could read out parts of the police summary to the court to ensure all reporting of the incident was accurate.

He told the court that Leading Senior Constable Taylor's body-worn camera continued running throughout the incident and captured the aftermath of the collision.

Mr Pusey was intercepted by Leading Senior Constable and Constable Glen Humphries who pulled him into the emergency lane about 4.30pm.

Inquiries about the Porsche's registration revealed it was connected to outstanding matters so the two officers called for back-up, the court heard.

Highway Patrol officers Senior Constable Kevin King and Constable Josh Prestney arrived at 5.35pm.

The four police officers were standing next to their cars while Mr Pusey had gone into nearby grassland to urinate when the semi-trailer veered into the emergency lane and hit the officers.

Mr Pusey later told police he heard a "bang" and saw his car pushed underneath the truck.

The black Porsche under the semi-trailer after the crash.Credit:AAP

The court heard Mr Pusey saw where all four officers were after they were hit by the truck and described to police the injuries they had sustained.

In footage captured by her body-worn camera, Senior Constable Taylor can be heard calling out for help at 5.42pm but no one went to her aid.

One police vehicle is towed from the scene of the crash.Credit:AAP

As multiple passersby got out of their cars to help, Mr Pusey then allegedly removed two iPhones from his car and walked around the scene using his phone to record videos.

He then allegedly walked right up to Senior Constable Taylor as she was pinned to the truck.

In the body-cam footage she can be heard groaning before Mr Pusey allegedly says to her: "There you go, amazing, absolutely amazing. All I wanted to do was go home and have some sushi and now you f---ed my f----ng car."

Police allege he did not try to render assistance in any way. A pathologist has told police it is likely Senior Constable Taylor was still alive at that point.

The body-cam footage also captured a passerby telling Mr Pusey to leave the scene as he is filming. He responded: "That’s my f---ing car mate."

The crash scene on Wednesday night.Credit:Nine News

Mr Pusey asked someone for a lift to Fitzroy and was dropped on the corner of Alexandra Parade and Smith Street, the court heard.

Police say he then called his wife and told her what he had seen. He went to the doctor and also told them about the incident.

Later that night, he allegedly called a federal police officer he knew, told her about the crash and sent her video, and also sent pictures of the crime scene to a friend, joking that he was hoping to get out of the fine.

He called the Fitzroy police station between 10pm and 11pm on Wednesday, and was asked to come to the station. He allegedly said "he just couldn’t" and went to bed.

Mr Pusey attended Spencer Street police station in West Melbourne with his lawyer about 9.40am on Thursday, bringing with him a mobile phone which he told police was the device he had used at the scene.

"Inquiries revealed he had in fact intentionally given police the wrong phone which had been wiped to factory settings," Detective Senior Constable Price told the court.

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A search warrant was conducted at his home on Thursday afternoon and an iPhone 11, which police believe Mr Pusey used to film the scene, was discovered.

Detective Senior Constable Price, who became emotional as he read out the police summary, also clarified that contrary to some reports, police have not found evidence that Mr Pusey himself posted images from the scene to Facebook.

After reading the summary, Detective Senior Constable Price bowed his head as he asked the court to observe a moment of silence for the victims and their families.

Mr Pusey remained expressionless during the court hearing, at times bowing his head and looking at his lap.

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His lawyer Vincent Peters said his client was on medication for mental health issues.

The driver of the truck that ploughed into the officers suffered a medical episode following the crash, blacked out and remains in hospital under police guard. He has not yet been interviewed by police.

Mr Pusey did not apply for bail and was remanded until his next court appearance on July 16.

In the line of duty

At least 170 Victoria Police officers have died on duty or as a result of their duties. Notable tragedies for the force include:

• December 30, 1837. The first recorded Victorian police officer to be killed in the line of duty was Constable Matthew Tomkin, who was shot by escaped convict George Comerford in Melbourne.
• October 26, 1878. Sergeant Michael Kennedy and Constables Thomas Lonigan and Michael Scanlan were shot and killed by the Kelly gang in an ambush at Stringybark Creek in the Wombat Ranges.
• March 27, 1986. Constable Angela Taylor was the first Australian female officer to die on duty after she was killed in the bombing of the Russell Street police headquarters.
• October 12, 1988. Constables Damien Eyre and Steven Tynan were ambushed and shot by offenders who had deliberately lured police to an abandoned car in Walsh Street, South Yarra.
• August 16, 1998. Sergeant Gary Silk and Senior Constable Rodney Miller shot in Moorabbin while investigating a series of armed robberies.
• May 20, 2000. Senior constables Mark Anthony Bateman and Fiona Frances Robinson died when their divvy van crashed while responding to reports of a holdup in Northcote.
• April 22, 2020. Senior Constables Lynette Taylor and Kevin King and Constables Josh Prestney and Glen Humphris killed when they were hit by a truck on Melbourne's Eastern Freeway after pulling over an allegedly speeding Porsche driver.

AAP

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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMikgFodHRwczovL3d3dy50aGVhZ2UuY29tLmF1L25hdGlvbmFsL3ZpY3RvcmlhL3BvcnNjaGUtZHJpdmVyLXJpY2hhcmQtcHVzZXktYWxsZWdlZGx5LXRvbGQtZHlpbmctb2ZmaWNlci1hbGwtaGUtd2FudGVkLXdhcy1zdXNoaS0yMDIwMDQyNC1wNTRtdnYuaHRtbNIBjwFodHRwczovL2FtcC5zbWguY29tLmF1L25hdGlvbmFsL3ZpY3RvcmlhL3BvcnNjaGUtZHJpdmVyLXJpY2hhcmQtcHVzZXktYWxsZWdlZGx5LXRvbGQtZHlpbmctb2ZmaWNlci1hbGwtaGUtd2FudGVkLXdhcy1zdXNoaS0yMDIwMDQyNC1wNTRtdnYuaHRtbA?oc=5

2020-04-24 03:39:40Z
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