Father accused of murdering stepdaughter tells court concerns over her disappearance were ’50-50′
Father accused of murdering his stepdaughter, 17, after she ‘claimed he abused her’ tells court her allegations were ‘untrue’ and his concerns over her disappearance were ’50-50′
- Scott Walker is accused of murdering his stepdaughter Bernadette Walker
- Bernadette ‘was last seen alive on July 18 last year when Walker collected her from her grandparents’ house in Peterborough’
- She had claimed that Walker had sexually abused her over a ‘number of years’
- Prosecutors allege he killed her to ‘prevent her pursuing her allegations’
- Walker was tearful as he described being ‘confused’ when she went missing
A father accused of murdering his teenage stepdaughter after she claimed that he had sexually abused her ‘over a number of years’ has told a court her allegations were ‘untrue’ and suggested he had conflicting emotions about her disappearance.
Bernadette Walker was last seen alive on July 18 last year when Scott Walker, who she called her father but was not her biological father, collected her from her grandparents’ house in Peterborough, Cambridge Crown Court heard.
The 17-year-old had claimed that 51-year-old Scott Walker had sexually abused her ‘over a number of years’, and prosecutors allege he killed her to ‘prevent her pursuing her allegations of sexual abuse any further’. Her body has not been found despite police searches.
On Tuesday the court heard from Scott Walker, who is accused of forming an ‘alliance’ with Bernadette’s 38-year-old mother Sarah Walker to mislead investigators, by claiming she ran away.
Under questioning by prosecutor Lisa Wilding QC, Scott Walker was tearful as he described being ‘confused’ when Bernadette went missing about ‘what was going on’.
He told the court: ‘I didn’t know whether there was a plan behind all of this and why Bea would be missing and why these allegations were made. Was this all to get me out of the house?’
However, he told the court this was not discussed with Ms Walker because he did not want to ‘rock the boat’.
Bernadette Walker was last seen alive on July 18 last year when Scott Walker, who she called her father but was not her biological father, collected her from her grandparents’ house in Peterborough, Cambridge Crown Court heard
On Tuesday the court heard from Scott Walker, who is accused of forming an ‘alliance’ with Bernadette’s 38-year-old mother Sarah Walker to mislead investigators, by claiming she ran away
Asked about the allegations made against him by his daughter, Scott Walker said he knew they were ‘untrue’ and suggested he had conflicting emotions about her disappearance.
‘It was a little bit 50-50 because when someone’s made allegations against you and then gone off and at the same time you’re concerned for your daughter it’s a bit 50-50, as in my concerns at the time,’ he told the court.
He said that Sarah Walker also feared the involvement of social services over the allegations against him, adding: ‘Sarah explained to me that with Bernadette going missing and these allegations made that it could cause problems for me.’
He was also asked why he downloaded an advice form from Childline at 10.20am on July 20 on children leaving home before speaking with police.
Scott Walker replied: ‘I simply wanted to get the information to show Sarah of the sort of rules and regulations and what the police can do to help. It’s like getting information before we have to phone police to say we understand what to do.’
Despite an extensive search in areas surrounding Peterborough police have not yet recovered Bernadette’s body
Asked why the police were not contacted before this point, Scott Walker said: ‘It was a case of, ‘give it a couple of days and she’ll turn up and the police won’t have to be involved, therefore there’s no social services involved’.
‘There’s a pattern of giving it that bit of time because we’ll get things all sorted out.’
Scott Walker told the court that he ‘wouldn’t have thought Bernadette was unsafe’.
Ms Wilding also went on to read WhatsApp messages sent to Sarah Walker, in which Scott Walker said: ‘I’m just feeling a bit out of this and that I’m not missing her either’.
Asked what this meant, he replied: ‘Because of Sarah doing all the messages and bits and pieces and asking Bernadette’s friends, if they’ve seen her or anything like that. I felt like I wasn’t doing my bit, and I felt a bit left out and I wasn’t doing enough.’
Scott Walker denies Bernadette’s murder on or after July 18 last year.
He denies four counts of perverting the course of justice and Sarah Walker denies two counts of perverting the course of justice.
The trial continues.
