Mohinder Singh, who’s in jail for driving his 19-tonne truck into 4 Victoria Cops in 2020, gave proof in opposition to ex-Join Logistics supervisor, Simiona Tuteru, on Tuesday.
He was initially charged with manslaughter, for allegedly permitting Singh to get behind the wheel whereas fatigued, however these expenses have been dropped about six days earlier than he was as a consequence of face trial.
In August 2022, Singh had his sentence diminished from 22 to 18-and-a-half years, after giving an enterprise to prosecutors that he would give proof in opposition to Tuteru.
He was introduced from jail to offer proof to the courtroom on Tuesday, when he took to the witness stand sporting a gray jail tracksuit.
On the morning of the April 22 crash, Singh stated he completed work about 2am and instructed a supervisor he was “actually drained, having issues at dwelling and I used to be seeing issues on the street”.
He stated the supervisor, Steve Harrison, instructed him to go dwelling, see a psychiatrist and get a letter earlier than returning to work.
Later that afternoon, about 3.30pm, Singh returned to work and needed to talk to Tuteru about how he had picked up a lady in his truck, whom he believed to be a witch.
He stated Tuteru was a church pastor and believed he may assist rid him of the witch’s curse.
“I hadn’t had any sleep, I used to be seeing issues, I assumed I used to be cursed by a witch and I used to be traumatised from it,” Singh instructed the courtroom.
Singh and Tuteru then searched the truck for gadgets that “witches go away behind” like voodoo dolls and items of hair, earlier than his boss carried out a spell on him.
“He is put his hand on my head… on the finish he stated ‘in Jesus’ title I solid a spell out of you’,” he stated.
Singh, who had smoked ice earlier than the lethal crash, claimed he instructed Tuteru twice he was too drained to drive and he had not slept the night time earlier than.
He stated Tuteru instructed him “you are proper to go now” after the spell and requested him to drive one truckload.
Singh went on to crash his semi-trailer, killing Main Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, Senior Constable Kevin King and constables Josh Prestney and Glen Humphris, after 5pm that day.
Nonetheless, Tuteru’s barrister David Hallowes SC accused Singh of fabricating his proof to get a extra lenient sentence in his attraction.
“You knew by making a press release in opposition to Mr Tuteru that that may assist in your attraction?” Hallowes requested.
Singh stated he was telling the reality about his dialog with Tuteru, however accepted his enterprise to offer proof had helped him scale back his sentence.
“My lawyer instructed me to co-operate with the police to the fullest, in no matter questions they might have,” he stated.
Households of the 4 victims attended the courtroom, with Constable Prestney’s brother and father delivering emotional statements.
“The night time we misplaced him, I felt like I wasn’t there for him and I could not defend him,” Alex Prestney stated.
“It is February 2024 and we’re nonetheless debating accountability of how my brother and his colleagues have been hit by a 20-tonne truck on the Jap Freeway.”
The listening to earlier than Justice James Elliott continues.
