April 9, 2021
Ed Vickers QC has successfully prosecuted serial child abuser Stephen Walker at Croydon Crown Court.
Former youth football coach Walker was convicted of forty counts of serious child abuse committed against 14 children over a forty-year period between the mid 1960s and mid 2000s.
The case was originally meant to be tried in April 2020 but was postponed and split into two trials due to the effects of the covid pandemic on the criminal justice system. The two trials ran consecutively from 4th January until Easter 2021. Both juries were unanimous in convicting Mr Walker. The case was brought after a complex police investigation which began in 2018, which involved the reopening of two ‘cold cases’ and led to further victims coming forward.
Mr Walker was not registered as a coach with the FA and his offending took place at home and on football tours abroad.
Mr Walker is due to be sentenced in May. The police investigation was conducted by the Surrey Police Complex Abuse Unit and Ed, leading Nicola Merrick of 15 New Bridge Street, was instructed by the CPS Complex Casework Unit.
News report here: [Sky News]