The former broker described by a judge as "the most hated man in Australia" is in more hot water over an alleged incident involving his partner
The former Melbourne mortgage broker a judge called “the most hated man in Australia” is planning to fight allegations that he assaulted his partner last year.
Richard Pusey, 42, is in jail awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to charges stemming from a 2020 traffic stop in which he filmed and taunted four dying police officers after they were struck by a truck.
Pusey is also charged with a number of offences stemming from an incident that occurred at his home Dec. 27, according to a report by The Age. Police were called to the former broker’s home that night and found him on the roof. They had to negotiate with Pusey to convince him to come down.
On Tuesday, the Melbourne Magistrates Court was told that the prosecution and defence were in discussions to resolve that matter, and that five of the eight charges would likely be withdrawn – including accusations that Pusey threatened to kill his partner and endangered her by putting a noose around her neck, The Age reported.
The charges that would remain include assault and using a carriage service to menace by “sending abusive and derogatory text messages and phone calls.”
Pusey’s lawyer, Vincent Peters, said the former broker would plead guilty to using a carriage service to menace, but would fight the assault charge.
Peters told the court that Pusey’s partner made no complaint about an assault, and the charge was based on statements from police officers who were outside the building on Dec. 27. The officers said they say Pusey inside the property walking from the bedroom to the kitchen holding the woman’s arm, The Age reported.
“We say there were no vantage points where they could make any reasonable assessment of what occurred,” Peters said. “We say it would be impossible to make those judgments. She says he wasn’t forcefully pulling or dragging her.”
Read more: Mortgage broker Richard Pusey ‘probably the most hated man in Australia’
Prosecutor Meagan McDonnell said that Victoria Police would investigate further, but Peters argued it was a “trivial matter” that wasn’t worth pursuing. McDonnell said it was inappropriate to refer to the charge as trivial.
“Family violence is not a trivial matter, and proper investigation – regardless of what resources are expended – should be undertaken to properly investigate this matter,” she said.
During the hearing, Pusey also pleaded guilty to four counts of using a carriage service to menace, related to a separate incident, The Age reported.
Last month, when Pusey pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the traffic stop in which he mocked the four dying officers, Judge Trevor Wraight described the former mortgage broker as “probably the most hated man in Australia” and said that the public outrage over his actions was understandable. Among other charges, Pusey was convicted on the rare charge of outraging public decency.
Ryan Smith is currently an executive editor at Key Media, where he started as a journalist in 2013. He has since he worked his way up to managing editor and is now an executive editor. He edits content for several B2B publications across the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. He also writes feature content for trade publications for the insurance and mortgage industries.LinkedIn | Email
