Truck driver who smashed into four police by the side of the road while high on meth denies trying to ‘shift the blame’ to his boss by claiming he knew he was too tired to drive
- Mohinder Singh was sentenced to 22 years in jail after killing four police officers
- Singh swerved and hit Victorian officers on April 22, 2020 while high on drugs
- Connect Logistics manager, Simiona Tuteru was charged with manslaughter
- Singh gave evidence in the committal hearing of his former boss on Wednesday
A truck driver who killed four police officers on a Melbourne freeway has denied trying to shift the blame by claiming his boss knew he was overtired and helped him to ‘cast out’ a witch’s spell.
Mohinder Singh had been using and dealing ice, speaking about seeing ghosts and witches, and thought he was getting fired before he veered into the officers on the Eastern Freeway on April 22, 2020.
Singh on Wednesday faced Melbourne Magistrates Court to give evidence during the committal hearing of his former boss, Connect Logistics manager Simiona Tuteru, who has been charged with manslaughter over the fatality.
Mohinder Singh gave evidence during the committal hearing of his former boss, Simiona Tuteru (pictured), who has been charged with manslaughter after Singh killed four Victorian Police officers
In a police statement dated May 4, released in court, Singh said he met with Tuteru, whom he knew as ‘Simon’, about three hours before the collision and told him he had been ‘cursed by a witch’ and was ‘seeing things’.
‘Simon then said to me “let’s go to your car and see if she had left anything behind”,’ Singh wrote.
‘Simon told me that sometimes witches leave behind voodoo dolls or hair. We were looking for something that wasn’t mine. While we were doing this Simon talked to me about witches and curses and how they worked.’
In April Singh was jailed for up to 22 years after admitting culpable driving causing the deaths of Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, Senior Constable Kevin King, and constables Glen Humphris and Josh Prestney.
Tuteru is accused of directing or requiring Singh to work while he was fatigued and multiple breaches of heavy vehicle regulations.
Singh (pictured) was fatigued and drugged when he killed four officers on a Melbourne freeway on April 22, 2020 and had denied ‘shifting the blame’ to his former boss
Simiona Tuteru is accused of directing or requiring Singh to work while he was fatigued, as well as multiple breached of heavy vehicle regulations leading to the fatal deaths of the four officers (pictured)
In his statement, Singh said Tuteru placed his hand on his head and prayed after they failed to find anything in the car.
‘I don’t remember the exact words of the prayer but I do remember at the end of it he said: ‘In Jesus’ name I cast the spell out of you’,’ Singh told police.
‘I also remember while we were searching the car he said that he had experiences with witches in Africa and this is where he learnt how witches work.
‘After he prayed on me he then said: ‘OK you are right to go now … I just need you to do the load to Thomastown and then you can come back – see how you are feeling and go home’.’
Singh claims that he told Tuetru that he was sleep deprived as well as claiming he had been cursed by a witch and was seeing things, before Tuteru said he was fine to do a load which led to the crash
The former truck driver also claims he told Tuteru that he was sleep-deprived.
‘I definitely said to him I was unfit to drive and very tired,’ Singh told the court.
Tuteru’s barrister, David Hallowes SC, then asked him: ‘Have you ever tried to shift the blame for this collision to your boss?’
Singh said ‘no’.
Tuteru’s committal hearing continues on Wednesday