An Australian man who filmed the last agonising moments of a police officer as she lay dying on the side of a Melbourne motorway was labelled "probably the most hated man in Australia" by a judge.
Richard Pusey, 42, appeared in court this week for a pre-sentencing hearing after admitting to filming the horrific aftermath of the Eastern Freeway crash on April 22 last year.
Mr Pusey had been pulled over by police for speeding when a lorry crashed through the emergency lane and killed four officers – Senior Constables Lynette Taylor and Kevin King, and Constables Glen Humphris and Josh Prestney.
Mr Pusey was spared from injury because had been behind the guardrails of the motorway. After the accident, he grabbed his phone and began recording the scene, while making comments such as “amazing” and describing what had happened as "justice".
Mr Pusey's graphic video zoomed in on the face and body of Taylor as she lay moaning at the crash site, the court was told.
Judge Trevor Wraight acknowledged the public outrage at Mr Pusey's actions during the hearing saying, “they have demonised him to the point where he is probably the most hated man in Australia”.
Mr Pusey was stopped by police while driving his Porsche at 149kph. Shortly after being pulled over, a lorry driver, who was allegedly sleep deprived and drug affected, hit the officers on the side of the road.
Other drivers rushed to help the four officers, while Mr Pusey filmed the scene for three minutes. Witnesses at the scene called on Mr Pusey to help but according to their reports he simply said: “They’re dead.”
Mr Pusey will return to court next month.
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
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Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
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Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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