Man killed as payback for sexual assault, court hears
A man whose body was found in a shallow grave on the Mornington Peninsula in October last year was killed in response to a sexual assault, the Melbourne Magistrates' Court has heard.
Jade Goodwin's body was found on October 22 on a vacant property at Tyabb, not far from his home in Hastings, south of Melbourne.
The court heard Mr Goodwin, 39, was found with duct tape and plastic ties around his head and had been sat on and restrained.
Committal proceedings have begun against Natalie Dalton, 37, Olivia McOrmond, 47, Shane Heiberg, 35 and Brendan McDowall, 52.
They each face one count of murder and another charge each of unlawfully imprisoning Mr Goodwin and detaining him against his will.
The court heard the defendants and Mr Goodwin all knew each other and hung around an apartment block in Hastings where they would drink and take drugs.
One witness, Candice Carroll, said she heard Mr Goodwin being taken away in a car against his will.
"Somebody was yelling out and telling him to get in the car," Ms Carroll told the court.
"He said no.
"It sounded like he got put in the car by force," Ms Carroll said.
She told the court she did not see him being taken away, but did hear the car door being closed and the car driving off.
Mr Goodwin was like a "bodyguard" who gave her food and cigarettes, the 20-year-old told the court.
The court heard evidence from Paul Lloyd, who lived in the apartment complex and often hosted gatherings in his mother's garage, where friends and acquaintances would drink alcohol and use marijuana and the drug ice.
Mr Lloyd gave evidence about a meeting at his place with Brendan McDowall, Natalie Dalton and Shane Heiberg the week before Mr Goodwin's body was discovered, at which he heard allegations of sexual assault.
"That Jade had done things… things that had made my mouth drop," he said.
Mr Lloyd told police in his statement: "Brendan said, 'Enough's enough. Me and Shane are going to go over and check him [Jade Goodwin] out… before he wakes up. I'm going to have him tied up with some ties.'"
Mr Lloyd was questioned about his drug use and the accuracy of his statements to police.
He insisted they were "true and accurate".
"I just wished things had turned out differently," he said.
