Warrington Council leader lied about address to appear local, jury told

The court heard records showed Mr Bowden moved out of the Birchwood property in June 2019

A council leader who gave his estranged wife's address on election nomination forms did so to gain a "political advantage", a court has been told.

Warrington Borough Council's Labour leader Russell Bowden has been accused of giving a false statement in papers ahead of the 2021 local elections.

Prosecutor Sarah Griffin told Liverpool Crown Court he gave the wrong address so voters would see him a "local man".

The 53-year-old has denied making a false statement.

Opening the trial, Ms Griffin said that while "at first blush, it might not sound like the worst offence in the world", Mr Bowden had "broken the laws that underpin our very democracy and the right we all have to be confident that the politicians we choose to represent us have reached that position honestly".

The court heard that in forms submitted on 6 April 2021, Mr Bowden gave his home address as being on Applecross Close in Birchwood, a road which lies in the ward he represented.

However, Ms Griffin said it was alleged that he had moved out of that property in 2019 and was living more than six miles (9.5km) away, in Lulworth Place in Bewsey.

'No comment'

She said the reason he had the Birchwood address on his form "was to gain a political advantage, so that the electors in the Birchwood ward, on learning of his home address, at the very least from the voting card, would consider him to be a local man who lived in their ward".

She said council officials had investigated the situation after the elections and found the sole resident of the Birchwood address was Beverley Bowden, the leader's estranged wife, who was receiving a single person's council tax discount.

The court was told records showed Mr Bowden moved out of the property in June 2019.

Ms Griffin said Mr Bowden, who became council leader in the months before the elections, had spoken to police in 2020 about whether someone else had used the correct home address.

She said that conversation was "significant" because it demonstrated he was "aware of how important it is to make an honest declaration about your address".

She added that police visited the Birchwood address in May 2021 and spoke to neighbour Sharon Smith-O'Malley, who told them she became aware the Bowdens were splitting up in 2018.

Ms Smith-O'Malley said she had only seen him at the house about three times a year since he had moved out and remembered him because his car was a Mercedes Benz with a loud exhaust.

The court heard that car was registered to the address in Bewsey.

The jury was also told Mr Bowden answered "no comment" to questions during a police interview, but gave a prepared statement.

In it, he claimed the Birchwood address was his permanent address but that he had moved out due to the problems in his marriage and the impact that was having on his wife's mental health.

The trial continues.

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