I am ill, insists accused ex-mayor

Oct 11 2007 Liverpool Daily Post

A FORMER mayor accused of disability benefit fraud told a court yesterday he was ill and was frequently in pain.

Ex-mayor of Sefton John Walker, 57, and his wife Catie, 49, are accused of conspiring to fraudulently obtain more than £47,000 in income support and disability living allowance.

The couple, of Farmer Place, Bootle, each deny both charges. The prosecution allege that the couple failed to declare Catie Walker worked as a school escort for children with special needs and had been paid to distribute advertising for a taxi firm and that John Walker was fit despite claiming on benefit forms he had a range of health complaints.

Prosecution witnesses have told the jury they saw Walker moving around unaided at mayoral functions and did not appear to be in difficulty.

On benefits applications John Walker claimed he suffered several disabilities and needed constant care from his wife.

John Walker told the court he had been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as ME, and genuinely suffered from the ailments he had submitted on the forms.

He told the jury he took a large amount of medication each day and his wife looked after him.

He said:“Catie would help.

“Catie had a huge knowledge of my condition.”

The case continues.