Melissa Goodwin: Biting charge dropped after bikie ex no-show

A former prison guard accused of biting her bikie ex-bf – who she met at Silverwater Correctional Centre – has had her charge dropped in court when he didn’t show up.

A former prison guard charged after allegedly biting her bikie ex-boyfriend in a domestic violence incident has had her charge withdrawn after he was a no-show in court.

Melissa Goodwin, 27, of Ingleburn, met Caleb Valeri, understood to have Rebels connections, in her time as a corrections officer in Silverwater, with the two making their relationship public after he was released from prison.

But within months she was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm after allegedly biting him during an argument in September 2021 in Liverpool.

In Liverpool Local Court today, police prosecutor Sergeant Constable Hillery applied for an adjournment but noted two attempts to serve Valeri with subpoenas had been unsuccessful and police were not confident he would attend any future court date.

The court heard police had known since September that Valeri wouldn’t be co-operating, having told the police officer in charge one week after making the complaint.

Melissa Goodwin, ex-prison guard leaving Burwood Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

The magistrate denied the adjournment application.

“The prospects of this matter ever going to hearing with a complainant present, in my view, is not only very low, but negligible,” he said.

Goodwin’s lawyer Derek Shridhar told the court while his client admitted to biting Valeri, she had only done it in self-defence, noting the prosecution case was Goodwin lunged at him for no reason and bit him, and then called triple 0.

Mr Shridhar cited police facts, in which Goodwin said, “I was so f**king scared. He’s done this before. I bit him so I could call police”.

The magistrate acknowledged the self-defence argument would be credible based on the facts of the incident.

After a short break, Sgt Constable Hillery told the court police were withdrawing the charge.

Valeri is not the only Silverwater inmate Goodwin has dated.

Corey London is pictured in custody at Burwood Local Court. London refused to testify, after initially telling police Melissa Goodwin had given him oral sex in a prison storeroom.

She admitted to being in a relationship with another inmate, Corey London, while he was incarcerated. In court, police alleged that relationship included multiple instances of oral sex in store room closets.

Goodwin denied the oral sex claims, but pleaded guilty to having a relationship with an inmate.

Police withdrew the charges relating to the alleged store room hook ups after London refused to testify in court, but she was convicted and sentenced to 100 hours of community service for the fling.

Valeri is also facing domestic violence charges, for allegedly assaulting and intimidating Goodwin in August 2021.