Tinisha Merrall: Jail time for 200km/h hoon meet dodgy driver
A 21-year-old Dandenong North hoon was chased by chopper cops as she raced at three times the speed limit on the wrong side of the road.
South East
Don't miss out on the headlines from South East . Followed categories will be added to My News.
A dangerous driver who tried to outrun the police air wing at 200km/h before dumping her car and getting in a mate’s vehicle has been jailed.
Tinisha Merrall was given 18 months behind bars for her crazy antics behind the wheel in July this year.
The unemployed Dandenong North 21-year-old must serve a minimum of nine months before she is eligible to be released.
She pleaded guilty to recklessly engaging in extremely dangerous driving, unlicensed driving and altering a registration plate charges at the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
The court heard just before midnight on July 13 this year the police air wing noticed a red Volkswagen travelling at an estimated 200km/h along the Monash Freeway in Dandenong.
They followed it and saw that vehicle, being driven by Merrall with three passengers on board, stop at a “hoon meet” in Noble Park.
She must have been spooked as she suddenly floored it, driving along Oakwood Drive at approximately 200km/h and through several side streets ending up on Stud Rd.
She then drove towards oncoming traffic before pulling into a cul-de-sac, tampering with the number plate and getting into another car that had been waiting for them.
Highway Patrol were now on the scene and pulled the second car over and Merrall was arrested and her VW impounded.
She made a “no comment” interview and showed no remorse for her dangerous driving.
She had been suspended just two weeks before for exceeding demerit points.
Defence lawyer Jackson Barrett said Merrall had issues with cannabis and ice, and the 34 days already spent on remand had been a “hard reset” and a “wake-up call” for her.
He said she was “craving stability”, and required structure and support and a community corrections order with drug treatment would provide that.
But Magistrate Andrew Halse said time served and a CCO was in no way a sufficient punishment for her “extraordinarily dangerous” actions.
“She was driving at 200km/h through the metropolitan area with three passengers in the car,” Mr Halse said.
“It is astonishing (this incident) wasn’t leading the news with four dead people strewn across the road.
“What she did was scary stuff, it was appallingly reckless behaviour.”
As well as the jail sentence Merrall was also banned from driving for two years.
