Now pushing 80 years of age, notorious Brant County conman Albert Walker has been turned down for full day parole despite a Correctional Services Canada recommendation to allow it.
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The former Paris, Ontario resident was convicted of murder in the UK and of scamming dozens of area victims in Ontario out of millions of dollars. He enjoyed a few escorted leaves from a minimum-security prison in British Columbia and, last year, took a two-month-long unescorted course.
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But the Parole Board of Canada continues to voice concerns that Walker has never taken full responsibility for his crimes.
And “there were concerns with how you presented the index offenses to your community parole officer while on day parole,” says the most recent decision.
In 1990, Walker fled his hometown of Paris with an estimated $3.2 million in investors’ money.
He took with him his then 15-year-old daughter and, in England, assumed a British man’s identity and home.
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When that man, Ronald Platt, decided to return to his previous life, Walker took him fishing.
Platt’s body was later found in the English Channel, weighed down by an anchor.
Platt was eventually identified by the Rolex he was wearing and Walker was nicknamed ‘The Rolex Killer’, his tale popularized in books, a TV movie and a story-line on the British soap opera, Coronation Street.
His life sentence for first-degree murder, fraud over $5,000 and 18 counts of theft, began in 1998 in the UK but he was allowed to transfer to a Canadian prison in 2005.
Now 78, Walker, once described by a judge as a “ruthless man and a considerable threat to anyone who stands in your way,” is still charismatic.
He goes to church and is in a prison seniors’ group.
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There were concerns earlier in his sentence that Walker was giving other inmates financial advice, just as he had during his fraudulent days running an investment advice office.
Once he was put in segregation for “jeopardizing the institution or other individuals” and was once found in possession of contraband cigarettes.
But generally, Walker has been a well-behaved inmate who hopes to get out, do volunteer work and, perhaps, pursue an undergrad degree.
A recent psychological report says he’s “positive, affable, loves people,” is committed to his faith and pays attention to self-care.
He’s been deemed a low risk for violence and a moderate risk of non-violent re-offending.
And that worries the parole board.
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“The vast majority of your offenses involved misrepresentation of your intentions, your actions and your motivations,” wrote the board members.
“You continue to misrepresent yourself to .. others around you”, failing to take full responsibility or be accountable for your fraudulent, thieving and violent acts.”
Walker still insists his investment business simply failed and that he and Platt wrestled and fought while on the fishing boat, resulting in Platt falling overboard and drowning.
The board said Walker’s smooth and affable behavior when he was on his previous short day parole showed he was minimizing his crimes and relying on his charm.
And, noted the board, his victims, who have provided written statements to the board, believe Walker will turn back to his white-collar crime if released.
“Your charismatic personality makes it easy for others to believe you,” said the board.
“On a regular day parole, you will have much greater access to potential victims and it will be much more difficult to monitor your behavior toward others.
“The board believes that your risk is not manageable on this type of release.”
@EXPSGamble
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