Bernadette Walker trial: Mum urged friend to block teen, jury told

Bernadette Walker, 17, was last seen on 18 July last year

A mother urged a friend of her daughter to block the teenager on social media after she went missing, a court heard.

Bernadette Walker, 17, was last seen on 18 July, and Scott Walker, 51, who she called "Dad" but was not her biological father, denies her murder.

In an exchange the following day, Sarah Walker advised the friend to block Bernadette, adding "you don't need that drama", jurors were told.

Both Mr and Ms Walker, 38, deny perverting the course of justice.

Cambridge Crown Court has heard that Bernadette was last seen when Mr Walker collected her from his parents' house in Peterborough.

Her body has not been found and she is presumed dead, prosecutors have said.

Jurors have heard that on 16 July, the photography student told her mother Mr Walker "had been sexually abusing her over a number of years".

Prosecutors allege he killed her to "prevent her pursuing her allegations of sexual abuse any further".

Bernadette is presumed dead, prosecutors say

The jury was told Mr Walker formed an "unholy alliance" with Ms Walker to cover up her death, sending messages from Bernadette's phone and social media accounts to make it appear that she ran away.

An exchange on Facebook Messenger between Ms Walker and one of Bernadette's friends, on 19 July, was read to jurors by prosecutor Lisa Wilding QC and Det Con Jacqui Quinn.

The friend wrote to apologise to Ms Walker after she told him that Bernadette's abuse claims were false.

He said he "just wanted to say I'm sorry for anything you read" in an exchange he had with Bernadette.

"I believed her and tried to be a good friend and help her through it and am really angry and upset with her about this," he said.

"I don't want you to believe I think you're a bad Mum."

In her response, Sarah Walker told the boy: "I really advise you block her to be honest. You don't need that drama."

She went on: "I really miss her and know she's sad right now but we can move past this."

Bernadette's body has not been found despite police searches, jurors have heard

Jurors also heard of a text exchange between Bernadette's handset and her mother's on the afternoon of 18 July, after she was last seen.

A message from the teenager's handset asks "Can you forgive me?", to which Ms Walker's responded: "Of course I can darling. Please come home."

"Will I be in lots of trouble?", Bernadette's then said, and was met with: "No, we can forget this happened," the court heard.

Mr Walker denies Bernadette's murder on or after 18 July last year and four counts of perverting the course of justice.

Sarah Walker denies two counts of perverting the course of justice "knowing or believing" Bernadette to be dead.

She admits two other counts of perverting the course of justice.

The trial continues.