The Porsche driver accused of filming and abusing dying police on a Melbourne freeway allegedly boasted speeding up to 300 km/h a month before the crash.
Richard Pusey wants to be bailed from prison, but police want him kept locked up, saying he’s a serial speedster with “violent tendencies”.
The 41-year-old allegedly told Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor “now you’ve “f***ed my f***ing car”, after a truck ploughed into her and three colleagues impounding Pusey’s car on the Eastern Freeway last month.
He allegedly filmed the graphic scene for more than three minutes before fleeing and sharing footage, including with a federal police officer he knew, also showing it to a receptionist at his GP’s clinic.
Pusey faces 12 charges, with three more laid at Monday’s bail hearing, including driving at a dangerous speed, reckless conduct endangering life, the destruction of evidence, failing to render assistance and perverting the course of justice.
He was accused of travelling at 149 km/h before being pulled over on April 22 after just two hours’ sleep.
He allegedly tested positive to drugs including cannabis and had a lunch bag with drugs suspected to be ice inside.
A month before, Pusey allegedly boasted to a friend about going 300 km/h along the same freeway.
“Apparently it (the car) will do 350 (km/h) and it’s coming,” he said, the court was told.
The driver was previously accused of threatening to set himself on fire at a debt collection agency and drive down Bourke St, in an apparent reference to James Gargasoulas’ rampage.
He also allegedly sent threatening emails to a Westpac employee.
Police informant Aaron Price said Pusey took “disturbing pleasure” in causing discomfort to others.
He displayed “violent tendencies” towards the public and police, and “has absolutely no regard for the safety of other road users”.
Sen. Const. Taylor’s body-worn camera allegedly captured Pusey taunting her as she groaned for help after the Eastern Freeway crash, which spared him because he was urinating on the side of the road.
“Amazing, absolutely amazing,” he is accused of saying.
“All I wanted was to go home and have my sushi and now you’ve “f***ed my f***ing car.”
Senior Constable Kevin King and Constables Glen Humphris and Josh Prestney were also killed.
Pusey’s lawyer, Vincent Peters, said his client had a pre-existing mental health condition and suggested he went into shock.
“A collision occurred in the most horrendous circumstances,” Mr Peters said.
“It happened in front of him (Pusey). One moment he’s talking amiably with the four police officers. The next moment, they’re gone.”
The lawyer added his client could not receive the mental health treatment he needed in jail.
Mr Peters also questioned what Pusey could have done to help after the collision.
“She (Sen. Const. Taylor) was attended to immediately by a Chinese doctor, an Asian doctor,” the lawyer said.
Pusey had previously been a registered nurse.
After allegedly fleeing the crash in the car of a passer-by, he emailed a Victorian police officer, saying “what I saw was horrific”.
He described Sen. Const. Taylor as a nice lady and said he was sorry.
Magistrate Jo Metcalf will hand down her decision about whether to grant Pusey bail on Thursday.
*story by ninensm