Bernadette Walker's step-father given life in jail for her murder
Scott Walker has been jailed for life, with a minimum term of 32 years, after being found guilty of murdering his step-daughter, 17-year-old Bernadette Walker from Peterborough.
Bernadette was last seen alive on July 18th last year when 51-year-old Scott Walker collected her from his parents' house in Peterborough.
Two days before this, on the 16th of July 2020, Bernadette had told her mother, Sarah Walker, that Scott Walker had been sexually abusing her.
The court heard that Sarah did not believe her daughter's allegations.
Scott Walker told jurors that Bernadette's allegations of sexual abuse were "untrue".
Prosecutors said that 51-year-old Scott Walker killed the teenager to "prevent her pursuing her allegations of sexual abuse any further".
Despite police searches, her body hasn't been found.
Scott Walker has not revealed to the police any details that could lead them to finding Bernadette's body.
Judge Mrs Justice McGowan, sentencing at Cambridge Crown Court, said Scott Walker's refusal to tell police where Bernadette's body is "means she can't be shown the respect she deserves".
"Cruelest of all it's likely to mean some members of her family and friends will go on hoping she might be alive and might someday come back into their lives," she said.
Bernadette’s mother, 38-year-old Sarah Walker, was jailed for 6 years after being found guilty of two counts of perverting the course of justice.
Lisa Wilding QC, prosecuting, said that Scott Walker formed an "unholy alliance" with Bernadette's mother, his ex-partner Sarah Walker, to cover up the girl's death, sending messages from Bernadette's phone to give the impression she was still alive.
The judge said she was "sure Sarah Walker was the guiding mind behind the detail of (the) plan" to cover up Bernadette's death, adding: "Each defendant was a willing party in that enterprise."
Sarah Walker was not married to Scott Walker but had changed her surname to Walker by deed poll.
At the time of Bernadette's disappearance, Scott and Sarah Walker were living at the same address but Sarah Walker was in a relationship with another man.
Sarah Walker was found guilty of two counts of perverting the course of justice "knowing or believing" Bernadette to be dead, having already admitted two counts of perverting the course of justice.
These were by sending messages from Bernadette's phone after she disappeared and by providing false information to the police relating to her disappearance.
Scott Walker was also found guilty of murder and of two counts of perverting the course of justice.
The couple remained silent as they were led to the cells.
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