S32 E7: Plausible, Intelligent and Ruthless | Sea of Lies
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What is the focus of the trial involving Sheena Walker?
Our barrister made the decision that he wanted to open the trial with Sheena.
My lord, the first witness I'm going to call is Sheena Walker. There was an audible gasp as everyone looked to the back door in disbelief. Most of the reporters weren't expecting Sheena Walker to be on the witness stand at all, let alone be first. And she was all alone, because even though Officer Brian Slade had been with her every step, preparing her for this moment... He was not there in the courtroom to see it.
I didn't go into court because they were worried that she might keep staring at me for reassurance and the defence might pick her up and think, well, who is this person? And try to get a little chink in the armour. Yeah, I was asked not to.
As she moved toward the witness box, all eyes were on her, none more intently than those of her father. His eyes seemed to be reaching out, determined to meet hers, but he was boxed out by the body of a support worker.
How did Sheena Walker's testimony impact the trial?
Sheena stumbled as she went up the step, was sworn in, and then when the clerk whispered something that only she could hear, she took the hard candy out of her mouth and wrapped it tightly in a napkin. Your full name is Sheena Elizabeth Walker? Correct. And you were born in Canada? Correct. Was it your choice to accompany your father to England? Yes. You used fake names. Why? My mother was after custody of my siblings and after my father for financial support. As prosecutor Charles Barton steered her through, Sheena answered every question with conviction. Detective Ian Clenahan was there in the courtroom.
She was very, very calm, very determined, and stood there and gave it like it was. And we knew what she could say. We knew what she'd already told us. And it was a matter of her getting that out in court.
Sheena was only on the stand for a short period of time that day, but she was able to cover a lot of ground. Meeting Elaine and Ron, taking their names. She and her father posing as a married couple. Ron moving back to England. And then, the key timeline detail. Sheena said that the last time she ever saw Ron Platt was at Christmas 1995. About six months later, in June 1996, Walker told her that Ron had, quote, given up and had traveled across to France, to the Bordeaux region. Sheena told detectives that on July 20th, during their holiday in Devon, Walker went for a solo sale for the entire day. A month after that was when Officer Peter Redman called Walker to inform him that Platt's body was found in the channel.
Sheena was in the room when he called him and described her father as seeming shocked. And what happened then, after the police first called your dad? We made plans to move. But the most important detail Barton wanted Sheena to tell the jury, the reason the police were so keen to have her on the stand, that they worked with the RAF to make it possible, that, of course, was saved for last. When was the last time you talked to your father? He asked me to change my testimony. He asked me to say that I knew Ron was in Devon, and that I was supposed to know that Ron had been on the boat as well. And with that, the first day was done. It had been a gutsy move to open with Sheena, but the guts Sheena showed on the stand were all anyone was talking about.
On the first day of his murder trial, the key witness against him was his daughter.
Albert Walker's eyes were fixed on his daughter throughout her testimony, but the young woman who once masqueraded as her father's wife never even looked in his direction.
She was very poised, very composed, very mature, if I may say so.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the focus of the trial involving Sheena Walker?
0:32–1:41
2
How did Sheena Walker's testimony impact the trial?
1:41–8:00
3
What role did Albert Walker's actions play in the trial?
8:00–13:05
4
What are the key arguments made by Albert Walker during his testimony?
13:05–16:40
5
How did the defense challenge the prosecution's case?
16:40–24:25
6
What was the turning point in Albert Walker's defense strategy?
24:25–40:42