Former MSP Bill Walker jailed for 12 months for attacks on wives

The 71-year-old, who clung to his Dunfermline seat for 16 days after the verdict, returned to Edinburgh Sheriff Court today where he was sentenced by Sheriff Kathrine Mackie.

Sheriff Mackie found Walker guilty of assaulting his first wife Maureen Traquair on three separate occasions in the 1960s and 1980s. On one occasion he punched her in the face, giving her a black eye two weeks before they married in January 1967.

Ms Traquair told the court she had to buy concealer to hide the bruise on the couple's wedding day.

Walker was convicted of assaulting his second wife, Anne Gruber, 15 times between 1978 and 1984.

On various occasions Mrs Gruber was punched, slapped, kicked and pushed to the ground. Walker spat on her face, threw household items at her, threatened to pour hot coffee over her and pulled her hair.

He also breached the peace by leaping into Mrs Gruber's home brandishing an air rifle after she went out for a birthday meal with another man.

Walker was also found guilty of assaulting and injuring Mrs Gruber's 16-year-old daughter, Anne Louise Paterson, by repeatedly striking her on the head with a saucepan in 1978.

Mrs Gruber told the court: "He turned on her and whacked her repeatedly over the head with a yellow saucepan that was so badly broken up it was put in the bin. He battered her so hard she was down on the floor. Her head was bleeding and she was bruised."

The disgraced politician was found guilty of four assaults on his third wife Diana Walker, three of which involved slapping or punching her on the face. The attacks happened between June 1988 and January 1995.

She told the court her husband also recorded her phone calls and made her sign an agreement to do all household chores in their home.

Walker's crimes were committed at addresses in Edinburgh, Stirling, Midlothian and Alloa between 1967 and 1995.

Diana Walker told the court she spoke to journalists about her ex-husband after being "mad'' to hear him supporting a women's aid project for victims of domestic abuse.

The former SNP MSP, who was suspended and later expelled from the party after the allegations surfaced in the Sunday Herald in March last year, denied all the charges. He said he had acted in self-defence in relation to three of them.

Giving evidence, Walker claimed he was the victim of ''smearing'' and that his ex-wives colluded to accuse him of domestic violence.

But Sheriff Mackie said Walker was not a credible witness and the evidence shows he was "controlling, domineering, demeaning and belittling" towards his former wives.

The sheriff said she preferred the evidence of the Crown witnesses, particularly Walker's ex-wives, who she found credible and reliable.

Walker initially refused to vacate his Holyrood seat after the verdict, despite pressure from campaigners and MSPs, the vast majority of whom signed a motion calling for him to step down.

He faced having his salary cut by 90% if jailed, after the parliament's corporate body recommended the move for MSPs who go to prison.

The politician finally resigned on September 7, blaming a ''media onslaught'' that made it impossible for him to continue.

Walker was elected to the Scottish Parliament in a surprise victory for the SNP two years ago.

On a night of success for the party, he beat the previous Liberal Democrat winner into third place and finished 590 votes above Labour.

The by-election to fill his Dunfermline seat will be held on Thursday October 24.

Making reference to sentencing reports prepared for the hearing, Sheriff Mackie told Walker: "Your incredulity at being convicted of these offences and your perceived victimisation are further indications of your abdication of responsibility for your behaviour.

"You have shown what can only be described as contempt for your former wives and your step daughter in the derogatory manner in which you refer to them.

"I formed the opinion that you have no understanding of the impact of domestic abuse on victims or children.

"I have been unable to detect, either during the trial or in the reports, any evidence of remorse for anything or anyone except yourself."

The sheriff said that given his "extreme denial" of his behaviour, it was unrealistic to expect Walker to engage fully with any non-custodial domestic abuse programme.

Sheriff Mackie said: "I formed the impression that in the few incidents where you acknowledged the use of physical force, you believed you were entitled to or justified in its use, and certainly have made no apology for it.

"Your denial appears to me to be absolute. There is no acknowledgement of any unacceptable behaviour, there is no indication of any motivation to change.

"The conclusion that there's a significant scope to work with you to address your entrenched attitudes, value and beliefs surrounding domestic abuse is flawed."

The sheriff said it was clear from their evidence that to Walker's former wives his behaviour remained "vivid and distressing".

"Having regard to the gravity of these offences as a result of the cumulative effect of them, your extreme denial and complete absence of any remorse, and the assessment of risk, I have come to the conclusion that a custodial sentence is the only appropriate disposal," she said.

"In my opinion, the repeated abuse and violent behaviour towards your three former wives and stepdaughter over a period of 28 years outweighs other factors."

Earlier, Walker's solicitor advocate Gordon Martin said: "Clearly throughout the reports he hasn't accepted responsibility nor has he shown any particular empathy towards the witnesses who gave evidence against him."

The court heard that Walker had referred to his former wives in sentencing reports as wife one, two and three.

"I think there's no love lost between either side," Mr Martin said in mitigation.

Walker had hoped to round off a "distinguished life" by serving as an MSP but his reputation was now "in tatters".

"In fairness it might be the man now before the court is different from the man who was spoken of by the various witnesses in court over the length of the trial," he said.

Earlier, Walker's solicitor advocate Gordon Martin said: "Clearly throughout the reports he hasn't accepted responsibility nor has he shown any particular empathy towards the witnesses who gave evidence against him."

The court heard that Walker had referred to his former wives in sentencing reports as wife one, two and three.

"I think there's no love lost between either side," Mr Martin said in mitigation.

Walker had hoped to round off a "distinguished life" by serving as an MSP but his reputation was now "in tatters".

"In fairness it might be the man now before the court is different from the man who was spoken of by the various witnesses in court over the length of the trial," he said.

Detective Superintendent Stuart Johnstone, of Police Scotland, said: "I welcome this sentence and would like to praise the bravery of the victims for coming forward and giving evidence in this particular case.

"Domestic abuse occurs at all levels of society and can happen to anyone, anywhere in Scotland.

"No matter who the attacker is, or the passage of time since the crime has been committed, victims of such abuse and vulnerable persons should be reassured and have the trust and confidence that Police Scotland and its partners are committed to providing a consistent and professional approach to domestic abuse.

"All our officers and staff will use all lawful means at their disposal to stop such violence and deal with the abusers."

Walker showed no emotion as he was handcuffed and led away.

The court heard he believed he was the victim of "conspiracies" among his former wives, political opponents and the media.

Speaking outside court Walker's solicitor Russel McPhate said he would appeal.

He said: "Mr Walker is disappointed at the outcome. He is still maintaining his innocence and an appeal has been marked.

"The question of his interim liberation pending the appeal will be heard by the High Court probably at the beginning of the week.

"Thereafter, it's a matter for the High Court. There will be no further public comment from Mr Walker at this time."

Asked if his client felt no remorse, the solicitor said: "He is maintaining his innocence.

"You can't feel remorse for something you say you didn't do."

Diana Walker's brother-in-law Rob Armstrong said he gave court documents to a staff member in the parliamentary office of Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in February 2008, years before Walker was elected.

The documents contained evidence that Walker was ''a tyrant and a bully'', Mr Armstrong has said.

Ms Sturgeon said that as the complaint was a party matter it was referred to the SNP headquarters for investigation and she was not made aware of it.

Speaking outside court today, Mr Armstrong said "justice was done" and Walker had received a "very appropriate" sentence.

"I think the man has got what he deserved," he told reporters.

"I think he's had time to think about those who were the subject of his violence."

Mr Armstrong also paid tribute to those who gave evidence against the former MSP.

Asked for his reaction to Walker's continued denials of guilt, Mr Armstrong said: "I think that's very much the make of the man.

"Certainly my experience of him is that this has been a trait which has been sustained through many years."

He added: "He has never shown any regret for anything that he has ever done.

"My own view is that nothing will actually concentrate this man's mind more than being in prison."

MSPs across the political spectrum have welcomed the 12-month prison sentence.

But questions have been raised about how domestic abuse cases are prosecuted in Scotland.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said the sentence sends a strong message that domestic abuse will not be tolerated.

"We must now use the renewed political will against the scandal of domestic abuse to address this across Scotland," he said.

"Bill Walker's case made clear that even with 23 charges and 23 guilty verdicts, the possible sentence is limited.

"The Crown must review its prosecution guidelines so that cases take into consideration the corrosive and alarming nature of ongoing, abusive and controlling behaviour. This would be a much-needed shift in the way we prosecute domestic violence cases."

Scottish Women's Aid said it has "significant concerns" about why domestic abuse continues to be prosecuted in summary courts.

"Despite great efforts by the police and the Crown Office to develop more effective responses to domestic abuse, our current court response is limited by the focus on 'incidents' of assault," a spokeswoman said.

"If someone commits a single act of common assault, summary court is absolutely appropriate. However, if they commit that same act of assault repeatedly against a partner, or several partners, for years, we believe that's a different kind of crime, with a significantly greater impact, and it should be prosecuted in a higher-level court with a greater range of sentencing powers."

Stacey Devine, women's officer at the National Union of Students, said: "Very serious questions need to be asked as to why Bill Walker was tried in a summary trial rather than a solemn trial where a longer sentence would have been possible.

"If we're to send the clear message to perpetrators and victims of abuse that, as a country, we're taking this seriously, then 12 months in jail is simply nowhere near enough.

"Scotland must now come together and focus all our efforts on tackling violence against women in all its ugly forms. That needs education from a very early age, and investment in support services. Equally, the Scottish Parliament must work to ensure that any MSP convicted of crimes on this scale must never be allowed the choice as to whether to continue as an MSP or not."

First Minister Alex Salmond said: "The custodial sentence handed down to Bill Walker reflects the extremely serious nature of his crimes, for which he has shown no contrition.

"In terms of the political process, the people of Dunfermline constituency now have the opportunity to elect a new MSP, to give its communities the service and representation they deserve."

The SNP said earlier this month that it reviewed its assessment procedures following Walker's expulsion from the party last year.

No evidence was found of any legal complaint regarding Mr Walker before he was allowed to stand as a candidate, but the SNP now says that any relevant information about a potential candidate, "whether backed by hard evidence or not", will be passed to its election committee.

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said: "I'm pleased the sheriff has passed the maximum sentence available. However, like many others, I would have preferred to see a jury trial where there would have been the potential for longer.

"There are still plenty of questions for the SNP to answer on why such a misogynist thug was allowed to stand for election under its banner, particularly after a family member of one of his victims reported concerns to the party beforehand.

"Of course, with the toothless changes the Scottish Government has made to automatic early release, it is likely Bill Walker will be out within six months."

Scottish Labour justice spokesman Graeme Pearson said: "Handing Walker the maximum sentence was the right thing to do to allow his victims to move on. But the public will be right to wonder why this wasn't heard in a higher court where the options for sentencing would have better fit the offences for which he was convicted.

"He is getting barely a fortnight per crime. That cannot be right. If Walker had been tried in a higher court he would have received a longer sentence which would have automatically barred him from continuing as an MSP. The Parliament would have been spared therefore the unseemly scurrying for options it suffered and spent its valuable time on important Scottish business.

"There are still questions to be answered here by Nicola Sturgeon who has given a private apology to the man who first revealed Walker's crimes, but she has yet to say sorry to the people of Dunfermline for failing to act on the information and foisting him on them as a candidate.

"If we are to come to terms with domestic abuse at its root, the SNP must explain what went wrong with their selection processes and explain how it is possible for Nicola Sturgeon and her husband Peter Murrell, who runs the SNP, to fail to know about Walker's background and take the steps necessary to stop this disaster from ever affecting public life."

Co-convener of the Scottish Greens Patrick Harvie said: "The fact that the maximum sentence Walker was liable for was 12 months raises questions about summary treatment of serious cases.

"We need answers from the Procurator Fiscal Service about this as hearing cases at summary level risks leaving many women unprotected from further violence.

"The Walker case forced the Scottish Parliament to take hasty action. The idea of giving constituents power of recall or disqualification hasn't gone away and deserves to be explored."

A spokesman for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said: "The Procurator Fiscal at Dunfermline received a report concerning William Walker in connection with alleged offences occurring between 1967 and 1995.

"The report from the police was carefully considered and the available evidence reviewed by senior prosecutors. The case was reported to Crown counsel for instructions on how to proceed at the outset.

"On those instructions, William Walker appeared on petition and, as with all cases that appear on petition, the case and the evidence against him was subject of further investigation and consideration.

"At the conclusion of that process, the case was once again reported to Crown counsel for instructions on further procedure. At that time, Crown counsel instructed that the case be tried in the specialist domestic abuse court within Edinburgh Sheriff Court."

Here is a timeline of events in the run-up to former Dunfermline MSP Bill Walker's sentencing today.

2011: May 5: Bill Walker elected to Scottish Parliament in surprise victory for SNP, beating previous Liberal Democrat winner into third place and finishing 590 votes above Labour.

March 4 2012: Abuse allegations surface in Sunday Herald newspaper. Walker suspended from Scottish National Party.

March 5: Walker steps down from positions on Holyrood's Local Government and Public Petitions committees.

April 8: SNP expels MSP.

April 14: Police say they are investigating allegations made against Walker.

June 8: Walker arrested and charged.

June 14: Walker suspends appeal against SNP expulsion.

July 5: MSP makes first court appearance, at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

July 8 2013: Trial begins at Edinburgh Sheriff Court before Sheriff Katherine Mackie.

July 12: Trial adjourned after five days of evidence.

July 29: Trial resumes.

August 2: Trial adjourned again after five days of evidence.

August 22: Walker convicted of 23 charges of assault and one charge of breaching the peace between 1967 and 1995. Sentence deferred but court only has power to imprison him for one year, giving him option of continuing as MSP. First Minister Alex Salmond leads calls for him to quit.

August 29: Walker tells The Courier newspaper he has no plans to vacate seat despite vast majority of MSPs signing motion calling on him to resign.

August 31: Walker faces having his wages curtailed by Scottish Parliament if jailed. Holyrood presiding officer Tricia Marwick instructs officials to look at Scotland Act and advise Parliament's corporate body on members' pay and conditions.

September 7: Walker submits resignation to Parliament, blaming "media onslaught".

September 10: MSPs vote to reduce pay by 90% of any Holyrood politician imprisoned, or detained while awaiting trial.

September 11: October 24 date for by-election to fill Walker's Dunfermline seat announced.

September 20: Walker sentenced to 12 months at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.