Shyra Palmer-Zerna crashes into Thomastown Fresh Fruits, flees

A drug driver who ploughed into a Thomastown shop and hit two cars had just got out of jail when she went on a car-theft and speeding spree.

Shyra Palmer-Zerna pleaded guilty to stealing multiple cars.

A driver who ploughed into a Thomastown shop after hitting two cars was driving on drugs, a disqualified licence and had been released from jail only weeks earlier.

She then went on to drive a stolen car through red lights and at close to 200km/h at night with the headlights off.

Shyra Palmer-Zerna fronted Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, December 22 to plead guilty to a range of charges including careless driving and theft of a motor vehicle.

Palmer-Zerna was driving on High St, Thomastown about 7.30pm on August 26 when she hit a Toyota driving in front of her, sending it across the footpath and onto Highlands Rd.

The Subaru Palmer-Zerna was driving slammed into a parked car then mounted the footpath and went through the front of Thomastown Fresh Fruits shop, causing significant damage to the store’s doors, fit-out and fridges.

Palmer-Zerna, who was driving on a disqualified licence, jumped out the passenger side of the car and ran and hid in a nearby garden.

Days later she told police she’d been the driver of the Subaru, explaining, “I don’t know if I fell asleep but I woke up to a bang”.

She then stole a Mercedes from a Reservoir property late on October 16 before police air wing caught her driving it with the headlights off on Sydney Rd about 2am on October 17.

The court heard Palmer-Zerna, who had a friend in the car, went straight through red lights and a red light camera clocked her doing close to 200km/h.

She was then seen doing 180km/h while weaving in and out of traffic before she ditched the car in Reservoir.

Police found her hiding under a mattress in a Reservoir house soon after.

Palmer-Zerna was also arrested over incidents in the weeks earlier.

She stole a friend’s BMW from Coburg North on September 24, then stole a Ford from Reservoir on October 12 after she went into an occupied house and nicked the keys.

She also stole petrol and was reported for driving on the wrong side of the road.

The court heard Shyra Palmer-Zerna had a significant criminal history, particularly with car theft and unlicensed driving.

She only finished a two-year prison stint for charges including intentionally causing injury in August — right before she drove into the fruit shop.

The court heard the Lalor woman had a long history of drug abuse and was using ice during the crimes.

It was heard Palmer-Zerna had also been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder in prison and she had stopped taking her medication once she was released in August.

She spent 66 days in jail before pleading guilty to the charges.

Palmer-Zerna will be sentenced early in 2021.