Warrnambool man, Hamilton woman plead not guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice

William Orde, 28, Lily Goodwin, 29, and Jacob Arndell, 29, appeared in Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Friday for a committal mention hearing.

Mr Orde faced more than 30 charges, Ms Goodwin more than 10 and Arndell five.

Mr Orde and Ms Goodwin were committed to stand trial after pleading not guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice.

That charge relates to an alleged cover up of a car crash involving a black Jeep Cherokee on the Hamilton Highway, west of Geelong, on April 8 last year.

Mr Orde also pleaded not guilty to associated driving offences.

The pair will appear in the County Court of Victoria on January 18 next year.

The prosecution withdrew a number of charges against the trio, including the more serious charge of conspiracy to traffic drugs.

Mr Orde successfully applied to have the remaining of his charges heard in the Magistrates Court, some of which relate to the Warrnambool police divisional tasking unit's Operation Abalone which was established in September 2019 to investigate the alleged trafficking of ice, GHB and cannabis by Mr Orde.

He will appear in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court in December.

The majority of the remaining charges against Goodwin were withdrawn and she successfully applied for a single charge of drug trafficking to be heard in the Magistrates Court.

The court heard that Goodwin played an administrative role in the sale of numerous drugs from her Hamilton home, which she shared with her then partner Daniel McDonnell, 29.

A prosecutor said that a search warrant executed at their Colson Court property as part of Operation Abalone on May 8 last year uncovered 39 grams of cannabis, 28 grams of cocaine, 26 grams of MDMA, 17 grams of methamphetamine, 12 grams of amphetamine, six grams of ketamine and two ecstacy tablets, a small quantity of GHB and over $4000 cash believed to be the proceeds of crime.

The prosecutor alleged Mr McDonnell was trafficking the drugs and that Goodwin played an administrative role in moderating her partner's bank accounts and facilitating the transfer of money in and out for trafficking purposes.

She will appear in court again in December for a plea hearing.

Arndell pleaded guilty to three charges - trafficking methamphetamine, possessing MDMA and possessing a prohibited weapon.

Those charges related to a police raid on May 7 last year at Arndell's home in Warrnambool's Kagoola Avenue, which uncovered more than 20 grams of methamphetamine, 4.8 grams of MDMA, a set of knuckle dusters and drug paraphernalia.

Tim McCulloch, representing Arndell, said his client had served 126 days in custody with onerous conditions due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He said Arndell was released on bail on September 11 last year and had not reoffended.

Arndell will be assessed for a corrections order and sentenced in December.

It comes after a long and drawn-out committal hearing that started in May this year and was expected to finish in two days, but lawyers said the police brief had "gaping holes" and successfully applied for it be adjourned until a later date.

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