Bernadette Walker murder trial: Friend tells court about suspicious text messages he received after her disappearance

Watch a report by ITV News Anglia's Sarah Cooper.

The close friend of a missing teenager from Peterborough has told a court he was suspicious about text messages he received from her phone after she disappeared. 

17 year-old Bernadette Walker was last seen alive in July last year.

Scott Walker is accused of her murder. Prosecutors claim he and her mother Sarah Walker conspired to "cover up her death"  allegedly sending messages from Bernadette's phone to claim that she ran away.

Bernadette had claimed that Scott Walker - who she called Dad, but was not her biological father - had sexually abused her "over a number of years" and prosecutors allege he killed her to "prevent her pursuing her allegations".Walker is accused of forming an "unholy alliance" with Bernadette's mother, Sarah Walker, to mislead investigators - allegedly sending messages from Bernadette's phone and social media accounts to claim that she ran away.

Today, Cambridge Crown Court heard from one Bernadette's close friends who said he was suspicious about some messages he'd received from her phone after she went missing.

He said they contained words Bernadette didn't normally use and told the court.

The jury heard that those texts were the last contact he had from Bernadette's phone - but after that he said: "I called everyday for a little while, just to see if she would pick up or if it would ring."

17-year-old Bernadette was last seen alive in July last year - her body hasn't been found and prosecutors say she's presumed dead.

Scott Walker denies murder and perverting the course of justice. Sarah Walker denies perverting the course of justice.

The trial continues.