The home invasion of a single mum has rocked neighbours of celebrity WAG Bec Judd in the wealthy Melbourne suburb she says is being hit by a terror crime wave.
Judd has been vocal in demanding increased police protection for glitzy Brighton, 13km from the CBD, after a series of break-ins, burglaries and expensive car thefts.
Now neighbour and former My Kitchen Rules reality show contestant Zana Pali has chimed in, backing Judd and alleging two more incidents have locals on edge.
Former My Kitchen Rules contestant Zana Pali (seen here with partner Gianni Romano) has backed neighbour Bec Judd over the crime wave hitting Melbourne’s wealthy Brighton suburb
Another two incidents have rocked the neighbours of celebrity WAG Bec Judd which she says is being hit by a terrifying crime wave
‘Another home invasion in Brighton last night,’ she wrote on Instagram on Monday. ‘This time it was a friend of ours who woke up crying and screaming.
‘My friend’s house was broken into. She is a single mother – thankfully her and her children are safe.’
Ms Pali claims the latest incident happened just two days after a group of youths were spotted in the area allegedly scouting out homes to target.
She reposted a warning from another neighbour late last week which said the gang matched the description of other youths seen in previously in the area.
‘Please keep alert!’ warned the post. ‘There has been a group of four or more men wandering around the streets and driveways in Asling street.
‘They are probably going around the neighborhood. No photos but clear description from my neighbour appears to be similar groups of people from past events.’
The incident comes after footy WAG Bec Judd spoke out about the rising crime wave affecting Brighton and her war of words with Victorian premier Dan Andrews
The latest fears come after Ms Judd got into a war of words with Victoria Premier Dan Andrews about rising crime in the city’s well-heeled Bayside area.
Victoria Premier Dan Andrews Andrews dismissed Bec Judd’s comments as a ‘sweeping assessment
She took to social media to rage: ‘So sick of the rapes, bashings and home invasions at the hands of gangs in Bayside.
‘The state government don’t seem to care. We feel unsafe.’
Mr Andrews dismissed her comments as a ‘sweeping assessment’ but said he wasn’t ‘…interested in having an argument with Ms Judd.’
He added: ‘I’m also obliged to point out, though, I think there are more than 70 additional police in the Bayside area.
‘And the most recent crime statistics released by an independent agency would not support those sweeping assessments about patterns of crime.’
Zana Pali claims the latest incident happened just two days after a group of youths were spotted in the area allegedly scouting out homes to target
However it later emerged the 70 additional police have since been stood down, and the latest crime data paints a more complex picture.
Burglaries and break-in stats for Brighton in 2022 reveal a sharp spike over last year, soaring from 115 incidents to 145.
But that figure is actually the lowest in 10 years if you exclude lockdown-affected data from of 2021.
And overall crime for the suburbs is also at its lowest level for 10 years.
Ms Pali insisted though: ‘Take care.
‘Crime data [for] 2022 has finally been released and there is an increase in aggravated burglaries in Brighton despite it initially being denied due to the low rates of crime from 2020-2021 data of lockdowns.
‘Action needs to happen this is NOT OK.’
Earlier this month a Melbourne mother-of-two told Daily Mali Australia of her terror after a gang of teenage home invaders wandered around her house while she and family were asleep upstairs.
The teen thieves made off on a crime spree in the Brighton family’s luxury cars before the gang was shot at by police in St Kilda.
Two boys aged 13 and 14 were later arrested and charged with aggravated burglary, car theft and other offences.
Mum Emily Meredith-Smith demanded: ‘What are they going to do about it?
‘We need more protection around here. It’s awful. ‘For the first couple of days afterwards, I was just in shock. Now I’m just angry.
‘I’m told one of the boys had 13 charges out against him before he stole my car and was on his way to commit more crimes.
‘I know they’re just young kids – but why are they not being detained longer by the authorities…and where are their parents?’
CCTV footage showed the gang trying to steal another car in the street before one was caught on Ms Meredith-Smith’s doorbell cam sneaking into their home.
The gang wandered around inside the home in Brighton’s Cochrane Street before they grabbed the keys to the family’s Audi SQ5 and Subaru Outback and sped off into the night around 1.30am. One of the cars was almost out of fuel when they stole it and 50 minutes later they had to stop to refill at a St Kilda service station when a patrol car spotted them, before one officer opened fire on the vehicle when it hit a cop and tried to flee the scene
Melbourne mother-of-two Emily Meredith-Smith has told of her terror over a gang of teenage home invaders wandering around her house while she and family were asleep upstairs
The four youths wandered around inside while Ms Meredith-Smith and her husband and two daughters, aged 13 and 15, slept upstairs at their home in Brighton’s Cochrane Street.
The teen thugs grabbed a handbag and the keys to the family’s Audi SQ5 and Subaru Outback before speeding off into the night around 1.30am.
One of the cars was almost out of fuel when they stole it and 50 minutes later they had to stop to refill at a St Kilda service station when a patrol car spotted them.
As police tried to make a routine check on the vehicle, the gang drove at one of the officers and knocked him down before they raced off.
The gang knocked down one officer and another cop opened fire on the vehicles as it fled the scene, shattering the rear window and puncturing the bodywork
Another officer opened fire on the car, with the shots smashing the rear window and hitting the bodywork, but the car didn’t stop and fled the scene.
The family fears the home invasion followed a car break-in two weeks earlier – and are now terrified the gang will come back to hit them again.
‘That’s the scariest thing – just knowing that they broke into my car and then they came back two weeks later and broke into the house,’ said Ms Meredith-Smith.
‘That feeling of not feeling safe. Thinking, “Okay, they’re probably going to come back in a month time and try again.” Who knows?
‘You just don’t feel very reassured that they’re not going to do it again.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ms Pali for comment. Victoria Police said they needed more specific details of the alleged offences before they could respond.
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