Melissa Goodwin appeared before a magistrate sporting a new neck tattoo on Wednesday, as she sought to clear her name of sexual misconduct allegations at a Sydney prison
A female prison officer has had a major court win after a magistrate refused to consider evidence from her ex who claimed she repeatedly performed sex acts on him in jail.
Melissa Maree Goodwin, 26, appeared before a Sydney court on Wednesday sporting a fresh neck tattoo and a determination to clear her name of sexual misconduct allegations.
The suspended Corrective Services NSW officer has always denied convicted thief Corey London’s claims she gave him oral sex five times between November 2019 and April 2020.
And her case was greatly bolstered when London refused to testify this morning out of fear for his safety, with the court hearing he had recently suffered a broken jaw in Parklea prison.
Magistrate Daniel Reiss then formally refused to consider a statement London gave to police as evidence.
Prosecutors were relying on his statement as vital evidence prosecutors to prove outstanding contraband charges and the sex claims.
Goodwin’s lawyer Robert Webb described London’s list of alleged store room sex acts Goodwin supposedly performed upon him as nothing but a ‘wish list’.
Mr Webb slammed London as a ‘jealous and nasty’ criminal with a vivid imagination.
‘Your Honour would think a maximum security prison is used more like a brothel house’, based on London’s statement, Mr Webb said.
London was brought to Burwood Local Court but refused to come up from the cells, despite being driven from Parklea Prison.
The court heard inmate Corey London’s foul-mouthed call to his mother about Goodwin (left and right), who he claimed to police had performed repeated oral sex on him in a prison storeroom. London’s mother suggested he could use his alleged situation with Goodwin to his advantage. ‘You might be able to use it to your advantage to get out early,’ she said.
Love triangle: Goodwin pursued an entirely legal relationship with Rebels bikie associate Caleb Valeri after her arrest
Goodwin’s lawyer Robert Webb described London’s list of alleged store room sex acts Goodwin (pictured, leaving court) supposedly performed upon him as nothing but a ‘wish list’
London was charged with contempt of court but still declined to testify.
Goodwin isn’t entirely out of hot water. She has pleaded guilty to being in an intimate relationship with London, but was always adamant that the relationship wasn’t sexual.
The court earlier heard a recorded phone call from London following Goodwin’s arrest last May. In the call, London exclaimed to his mum: ‘Did you see the news? Did you see the news?’
‘No, what? she replied.
The prisoner said: ‘(Goodwin) got done. The little f***en’ s*** she is. … Some c*** got out, she was with him, then she got done.
‘I won’t say too much but she’s a f***en’ little dog.’
The court heard that London appeared to be referring to a relationship Goodwin pursued with ex-prisoner Caleb Valeri outside jail.
Valeri is a Rebels bikie gang associate on bail at the time, and the apparent love triangle had been splashed across the press.
A fuming London claimed to his mum: ‘This little Rebel dog…. I’m going to f***en’ kill him when I see her.
‘I was with him, hey, he was a jealous c*** bro’.
London added that he was ‘burning’ that Goodwin was dating a ‘gronk’ and asked his mother to message her.
His mother replied, sagely: ‘At the end of the day … she was probably seeing like ten of you’.
London replied: ‘Nah… what do you mean, I was the first one.’
‘A real catch’: That is how Magistrate Daniel Reiss sarcastically described Corey London in court on Wednesday. He fumed to his mother that Goodwin was in a relationship with Valeri
Goodwin’s lawyer Robert Webb described London’s list of alleged store room sex acts as nothing but fantasy – a ‘wish list’
At one point in the call, London appeared to threaten Goodwin: ‘She doesn’t know. I’ve got everything. I’ve got her address, where she lives, everything off her.’
His mother also suggested he make the most of his situation in a legal sense.
‘You might be able to use it to your advantage to get out early,’ she said.
London agreed.
London will remain behind bars until at least the middle of next year.
Goodwin will return to court for sentencing over a single charge of engaging in an intimate relationship with an inmate causing a safety risk.
Prosecutors will consider their position on outstanding contraband charges, the court heard.
