WARRINGTON Borough Council’s leader Russell Bowden, who is accused of election fraud, told police he had followed Electoral Commission guidance.
The 53-year-old is alleged to have lied on his election nomination forms by using his former home address to gain a political advantage in the local elections in May 2021.
Liverpool Crown Court heard today (Wed) that when interviewed by police on September 2, 2021, he answered no comment but gave a prepared statement in which he maintained his “permanent home address” was Applecross Close in Birchwood.
Sarah Griffin, prosecuting, has told the jury that he was actually living in Lulworth Place having split up from his wife and he used the Birchwood address as that was at the ward he was standing for in the election and voters would see him as “a local man.”
Bowden is on trial denying an offence of making a false statement in a nomination paper for Warrington Borough Council local elections on April 6, 2021.
In his prepared statement, Bowden told how he had bought his home in Applecross Close in 1996 with his fiancee, who later became his wife, and has owned it for more than 25 years and he is registered as the sole owner.
He said it was the only property he has ever owned and the mortgage was in his name and it was his family home where he raised his children. His marriage failed in 2017 but they continued to live together until 2019 while they attempted to resolve their situation.
Bowden said that for the sake of her mental health he took out a six-month lease on a flat in Lulworth Place.
“At no point since then have I ever declared that my home address is anything other than Applecross Close.”
He said since moving into the temporary accommodation he had paid all the bills for the Applecross Close address, still had keys for it and went there as and when he pleased and worked from there.
The court heard that he continued that he had every intention of returning to live there either through a divorce settlement or reconciliation.
He said he was registered to vote from the Applecross Close address and he checked Electoral Commission guidance which said his primary permanent address should be used rather than temporary accommodation.
“I followed this and continued to register at Applecross Close. It would have been an offence to register at the temporary address,” he stated.
Miss Griffin told the jury that it was agreed with the defence that on August 23, 2020 and again on July 27, 2021 he made online submissions to update the electoral register for the Lulworth Place address recording it as “empty” and gave his address at Applecross Close.
The court has heard that “empty” property means no one is eligible to vote.
The jury has been sent home until tomorrow to enable legal discussions to take place in their absence.
The case continues.
Council leader allegedly “lied” on nomination forms to gain political advantage
