I didn’t conspire to murder John Setka, says estranged wife Emma Walters

Emma Walters says she’s innocent after being charged with incitement to commit conspiracy to murder CFMEU Victorian boss John Setka.

Emma Walters and John Setka. Picture: Aaron Francis

Emma Walters, the estranged wife of CFMEU Victorian boss John Setka, has declared her innocence after confirming she has been charged with incitement to commit conspiracy to murder the union leader.

Ms Walters strongly denied the charges on Wednesday night after confirming she had spent most of the day at Sunshine police station in Melbourne being interviewed.

Ms Walters said while she had co-operated with the police, she described the allegations as “complete bullshit”.

In a statement on Wednesday night, Victoria Police said a 46-year old Footscray woman had been charged after “she allegedly attempted to acquire a firearm and made threats to kill a man earlier this month”. “Investigators executed a search warrant at a residential address in Footscray on Wednesday, March 29, where they seized a mobile phone,” the statement said.

Police said the “woman has subsequently been charged with incitement to commit conspiracy to murder, incitement to acquire a firearm and make threats to kill”.

They said the woman was bailed to face Melbourne Magistrates Court on April 5. Ms Walters confirmed she would be in court to fight the charges next week

She said she would also be in court on Thursday in relation to an intervention order.

Mr Setka declined to comment.

Ms Walters’ brother, Mike, said the charges were “complete and utter rubbish”. He said “Emma was simply seeking security advice on how best to defend herself” from Mr Setka.

Ms Walters confirmed police had seized her mobile and she had “co-operated fully”.

“I am going to defend myself on the 5th of April in the magistrates court in relation to the false and baseless allegations against me,” she said.

Last year, Ms Walters report­edly said she was living in fear after receiving an appalling note she said was hand-delivered to her Melbourne house.

According to The Advertiser’s Brad Crouch, Ms Walters said her 10-year old daughter was the first to read the typed note, which repeatedly referred to her as an “Aussie c...” and a “dumb bitch”.

The anonymous note report­edly accused Ms Walters of making up lies about Mr Setka so she could “clean him up in a divorce and get custody of the kids”.

Mr Setka told The Advertiser last year he had no knowledge of the note until contacted by Ms Walters, and branded the person behind it “a coward”.

Mr Setka has denied allegations of domestic violence. He was convicted in 2009 of harassing Ms Walters and breaching orders.

ACTU secretary Sally Mc­Manus and a number of union leaders have previously called for him to resign, but he refused, maintaining he had the support of his members.