Australian jailed for filming dying officers

An Australian man has received a 10-month jail sentence for filming and mocking police officers as they lay dying at a crash scene.

Last month Richard Pusey pleaded guilty to the rare charge of outraging public decency, as well as other offences.

The 42-year-old has already been in custody for nearly 300 days, so he will likely complete his sentence within days.

The sentencing judge called his actions “heartless, cruel and disgraceful”.

Still, families of the victims were disappointed with the length of the sentence in a case that has stirred huge public anger.

Last month, Judge Trevor Wraight said the media had demonised Pusey to the point where he was “probably the most hated man in Australia”.

What did Pusey do?

The mortgage broker had been speeding in his car on a Melbourne freeway last year when he was pulled over by four officers.

While they were making his arrest, all four were struck by a lorry that had veered out of its lane.

Senior Constables Lynette Taylor and Kevin King, and Constables Glen Humphris and Josh Prestney died at the scene.

Pusey had been standing a few metres away and avoided the crash, but afterwards pulled out his phone and began filming numerous videos, some of which ran for more than three minutes.

The court had heard that Pusey stood over and taunted Senior Constable Taylor as she remained pinned under the lorry. Experts said she was most likely still alive at the time.

Source: BBC