Fugitive skips bail on twin’s passport

Tuesday, April 27, 2004

Fugitive Herbet Walker skipped bail and fled the country using his identical twin’s passport, Cayman Grand Court was told on Thursday.

His wife told the judge: “I have made every effort to contact my husband. I cannot find him.”

Walker disappeared on Saturday, 17 April just two days after being convicted of rape and indecent assault.

The jury of four women and three men had unanimously found him guilty of the offences after a three-day trial.

Mr Justice Seymour Panton had set bail at $15,000 with a surety and ordered him to surrender his passport while waiting to be sentenced on 29 April.

Walker’s brother, Mr Herman Walker, realised on the Sunday morning that his passport was missing and contacted the police, the court heard.
A fresh court hearing was hastily arranged for last Thursday and when Walker failed to show up his wife took the witness stand.

Taking several minutes to compose herself, she informed the judge she had tried her hardest to locate her husband in Jamaica, but had had little success in locating him.

She said she had put up the $15,000 to meet the bail condition. She stood to suffer from her husband’s actions.

Mr Justice Panton told her: “I am not satisfied you made much effort to locate your husband. You are his surety. You have the responsibility to produce him on the 29th.”

He continued: “When you speak with him or have indirect contact, you as his surety need to advise him it is unwise to be a fugitive. If he believes if he is away that he cannot be sentenced, he is wrong. I will leave it at that. You have a week to produce him.”

RCIP Detective Chief Superintendent Derek Haines stated, “We have been in touch with the Jamaican authorities and we are both continuing our inquiries.

We have enjoyed goodco-operation with Jamaican authorities in the past and I expect the same in the Walker situation.”

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