Priest saw nothing wrong with Walker

Sep 21 2007 Liverpool Daily Post

A PRIEST told a court a former mayor accused of benefit fraud did not seem to have any mobility problems.

Father Patrick Harnett told Liverpool Crown Court that ex-mayor of Sefton John Walker, 57, was a school governor at regular meetings.

Walker, and his wife Catie, 49, each face three charges of conspiring to fraudulently obtain disability living allowance and income support between 1999-2005.

The charges relate to the couple's failure to declare Walker’s £14,531-a-year expenses as councillor and mayor, and Catie Walker's £70-100 a week job as a taxi escort for disabled children.

The pair, of Farmer Place, Bootle, each deny the charges.

Teresa Loftus, prosecuting, has told the jury they had on three occasions completed benefits applications which claimed John Walker suffered several disabilities and needed round-the-clock care.

She said he claimed he was unable to walk more than 20-25 yards without severe pain and discomfort.

He said he needed assistance when outdoors as he suffered from dizziness and blackouts, frequently falling or stumbling.

The court has also been told Walker claimed he found word selection and speaking a problem. Father Harnett told the court he knew him as a governor with the Friends of St Robert Bellarmine Catholic Primary School Association, the school in Bootle attended by the Walkers’ daughter.

The priest told the court: “I never noticed any difficulty.

“He walked just as an average man.

“He could communicate very well, he was articulate and very logical in his presentations.”

Another member of the parent-teacher group, Agnes Gavin, 78, used to see John Walker “sauntering up” to the school.

She said of his verbal communication: “I never noticed anything wrong with it. I remember asking him why he wasn’t working and he said he was writing a book.”

The case continues.