A much-loved chaplain at one of Auckland’s most prestigious schools has been reinstated after a court case alleging he had sexually abused a student in Australia 20 years ago was abandoned by the plaintiff.

It has brought to end a highly distressing period for Father John Goodwin, who is known for his engaging character and who always maintained his innocence.

The accuser was an Australian gang associate serving more than 10 years in jail for trafficking million of dollars in drugs, including amphetamines, MDMA and cocaine.

He was still behind bars when his lawyer Angela Sdrinis filed a civil suit in the Tasmanian Supreme Court in 2021.

A statement of claim alleged Goodwin had repeatedly abused the then student while working as a priest at Tasmania’s esteemed Hutchins School, and telling the boy God would punish him if he told anyone about the abuse.

The plaintiff, now in his 30s,…