Richard Pusey fronts court accused of sharing graphic images
Richard Pusey has been denied bail as police fear they have a series of graphic images of the horrific Eastern Freeway crash that killed four officers that cannot be accessed.
The 43-year-old was denied bail by a magistrate in Sunshine, Victoria, on Monday partly because they can’t access the password-protected phone and tablet it’s believed the images are stored on, as reported by 7News.
It’s alleged that Pusey attached an image of the April 2020 crash in an email sent to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) last December.
They are also accused of attaching a crash photo - which also shows the dying victims - in a review on the homepage of the Porsche car dealership in Collingwood, Melbourne.
Pusey faces two charges of using a carriage service to harass as a result of these two incidents.
They are also accused of committing offences while on bail, and if convicted, could face an additional 12 months imprisonment for each charge.
The charges come just a year after Pusey was sentenced to 10 months in prison for the rare charge of outraging public decency, after they filmed the aftermath of the crash, which occurred after police pulled them over for speeding in a Porsche.
Prosecutors say they have a strong case, considering that Pusey’s personal details - such as name, address, email and phone number - were included in the AFCA email and their insurance policy was referenced in the review.
Police are also opposed to Pusey’s release and told the Sunshine Magistrates Court that the release of crash images caused widespread distress to individuals and families and that there was an unacceptable risk of Pusey reoffending if they had access to the images.
The court heard that in order for officers to gain access to the images in question, they will need to go through Apple to access Pusey’s iCloud account because they can’t access password-protected devices.
Pusey, who represented themself in the bail application, argued they had been unable to properly defend their matter while in prison and unable to photocopy documents or view electronic material, including their police interview and body-cam footage.
Magistrate Michelle Mykytowycz acknowledged Pusey’s concerns and said their access to phones and the prison library had been reduced due to COVID-19.
However, Magistrate Mykytowcyz wasn’t satisfied by Pusey’s argument that the delays would cause them to spend more time in custody than if they were found guilty.
Image: 10 News First (Twitter)