Bernadette Walker’s step-father, who was convicted of the teenager’s murder, passes away in prison

 

Bernadette Walker, a 17-year-old from Peterborough, went missing in July 2020 after disclosing to her mother that Scott Walker had subjected her to abuse spanning several years. Walker has been convicted of murder and perverting the course of justice.

The Ministry of Justice has confirmed that the 53-year-old died in HMP Hull Sutton on 22nd December. A spokesperson from the prison service mentioned that the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman would conduct an investigation. They also expressed sympathy, acknowledging the challenging nature of this news for Bernadette Walker’s family, stating, “We know this will be difficult news for the family of Bernadette Walker, and our thoughts are with them.”

Bernadette’s remains have yet to be discovered, and her step-father has chosen not to disclose their whereabouts. During the sentencing, Judge Mrs Justice McGowan remarked that his refusal “denies her the dignity she is owed”.

Walker received a life sentence following the trial held at Cambridge Crown Court in July 2021, with a minimum of 32 years to be served in prison. Additionally, Bernadette’s mother, Sarah Walker, then 38, was sentenced to six years in jail after being found guilty of multiple counts of perverting the course of justice.

Bernadette was last seen in the company of Walker, who had picked her up from his parents’ residence in Peterborough on 18th July 2020.

During the trial, the jury was informed that Bernadette had detailed in her diary a distressing account: “I confided in my mum about the abuse from my dad. She branded me a liar and threatened my life if I reported it to the police… What kind of parent refuses to believe their own daughter?”

The court learned that Walker likely strangled Bernadette and, in collusion with her mother, disposed of her remains, orchestrating a cover-up of her tragic demise.

Following the sentencing, Bernadette’s brother, Anthony Walker, expressed that their father “deserved no leniency from the law”. At 21 years old during the trial, Anthony disclosed his stepfather’s history of assaulting family members, emphasizing that the family had repeatedly reported his violent tendencies to the authorities.

Cambridgeshire Constabulary, in response to Walker’s prior convictions for harassment and a non-molestation order linked to a previous partner, stated that these did not initially raise red flags for safeguarding concerns.

In 2021, detectives attempted to interview Walker in prison, but he declined to engage in conversation with them.