Friends tribute to ‘sweet and loving’ Bernadette

Friends of Bernadette Walker have spoken of how the teenager’s murder has dramatically impacted their lives. Bernadette was killed by Scott Walker – known to her as dad but not her biological father – last summer.

Last week Scott Walker was given a life sentence after he was found guilty of murder earlier in the year. During the trial, the court heard from Bernadette’s friends, who described how Scott and Bernadette’s mum, Sarah Walker, used them as they attempted to cover up the killing. The pair sent messages from Bernadette’s phone and social media accounts to her friends, saying she had run away from home.

At Cambridge Crown Court , victim impact statements from two of those friends were read by prosecutor Lisa Wilding QC. Warren Naylor met Bernadette online, and the pair would message each other every day in the months leading up to her death.

Mr Naylor had offered support to Bernadette when she initially told him of the alleged abuse, and he had encouraged her to tell her mum about it. Mr Naylor later received messages from Sarah Walker on Bernadette’s Instagram account, where she told him Bernadette had lied about the allegations.

In his statement, he said how he had struggled since she died. He said: “Bea was my best friend and she has been taken away from me.

“I have felt down and depressed since then. I felt that I didn’t do enough to help her. “Her parents should have helped her and protected her. “There has been no closure.” Warren said that his studies had been affected by Bernadette’s death and the investigation, with police contacting him to speak about the investigation.

He also said the case had affected his life at home. He added: “She was sweet and loving. She was a nice person. I really miss her.”

A victim statement from Lukas Siauciun, another of Bernadette’s friends, was also read. Like Warren, he spoke of how the loss of Bernadette had affected him. He said: “The past year affected my mental health. I started to drink a lot of alcohol, and it really affected my studies.

“In December it hit be again when it was meant to be her birthday. I feel so empty. I miss her a lot. She was fun and helpful, always helping other people. She always came up with some amazing work. “She was truly a wonderful person.”