“Heartless”: Australia reacts to Richard Pusey’s sentence over horror Eastern Freeway crash
<p>The heartbroken families of the four officers who were killed in a horrific car crash on the Eastern Freeway have reacted in fury at Richard Pusey’s sentence.</p>
<p>The infamous Porsche driver who filmed and mocked the police officers who lay there suffering in their final moments after a truck barrelled into them, has been sentences to 10 months jail on Wednesday morning.</p>
<p>Pusey’s sentence was handed down for three charges including the rarer offence of outraging public decency.</p>
<p>However, given the fact that the 42-year-old has already served 296 days in prison on remand, he could walk free if he is granted bail.</p>
<p>Constable Glen Humphris, Senior Constable Kevin King, Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor and Constable Joshua Prestney were all brutally killed in the crash on April 22 of 2020.</p>
<p>Pusey’s life was miraculously spared because he was urinating behind a steel barrier away from the police officers.</p>
<p>Pusey’s immediate response was to grab his phone from the police vehicle and film the dying cops instead of helping them.</p>
<p>When witnesses pleaded for him to do something, he responded by saying, “They’re dead”.</p>
<p>He was later heard saying: “It’s amazing. That is f***ing justice.”</p>
<p>He also made shocking comments like, “Look at that, you c**ts. I guess I’ll be getting a f**king Uber home, huh,” as he walked around the bloody crash site.</p>
<p>Stuart Schulze, the husband of Sen Constable Taylor, said that Pusey’s sentence was “totally inappropriate”.</p>
<p>“It is difficult to comprehend that the court did not seem to understand that when the evidence of an outraging behaviour was bought before it, it was its duty to set the appropriate standard,” he told reporters outside of court.</p>
<p>“This is the expectation of the community. It’s a sad reflection on this court finding that this sentence is totally inappropriate.</p>
<p>“I find it to be outraging public decency that an appropriate sentence was not imposed by this court.”</p>
<p>Inside the County Court of Victoria Judge Trevor Wraight told Pusey his reaction after the crash was “heartless, cruel and disgraceful”, however he accepted Pusey was remorseful.</p>
<p>“I accept that there is evidence of genuine remorse,” Judge Wraight said.</p>
<p>“You said it was ‘horrible’ and that others would view what you did as offensive. You said you were ashamed of the video (you filmed).”</p>
<p>Judge Wraight said he considered the fact Pusey and his family had received death threats, when deciding on the man’s sentence.</p>
<p>Pusey has also been fined $1000 and his license has been suspended for two years backdated to October 2020 – meaning he could be behind the wheel again in less than 18 months.</p>
<p>Judge Wraight labelled Pusey “probably the most hated man in Australia”.</p>
<p>The Porsche driver admitted to reckless conduct endangering serious injury by speeding, and to possessing MDMA and cannabis.</p>
<p>A magistrate previously labelled Pusey’s actions “highly intrusive and morally repugnant”.</p>
<p>On the night of the crash, Pusey sent an email to a Victorian police officer and explained what he had seen.</p>
<p>“I feel very unwell as what I saw was horrific,” he wrote.</p>
<p>“I went to the doctors and he asked me to see him in the morning. Three males died instantly. (Sen Const Taylor) was in a state of shock. She was a nice lady.</p>
<p>“There was a doctor at the scene within seconds. I was behind the steel barrier just moments before the truck came through. I have to sleep now as my head is fuzzy.”</p>
<p>Truck driver Mohinder Singh was sentenced to 22 years in jail on four counts of culpable driving causing death, three drug trafficking charges and drug possession.</p>
<p>The 48-year-old had barely slept in the days leading up to the crash.</p>
<p>He had told people he was hallucinating a witch and “stick figures” that weren’t there — but he still chose to get behind the wheel.</p>
