Mother of Rikki Neave ‘told the truth and nothing but the truth’, jury told
Ruth Neave was called to give evidence during James Watson’s murder trial.
The mother of six-year-old Rikki Neave said she was telling the “truth and nothing but the truth” when denying his murder more than 25 years ago.
Rikki was strangled and posed naked in woods near his Peterborough home in November 1994.
His mother Ruth Neave was cleared of his murder the next year but convicted of child cruelty, the Old Bailey was told.
Watson’s DNA was found on Rikki’s clothes, which were found discarded in a wheelie bin, the court has heard.
On Thursday, Ms Neave was called to give evidence in Watson’s murder trial.
Jurors were shown pictures of the inside of the home, including the bedroom Rikki had shared with his older sister before she went in to care.
Ms Neave told jurors that, by the time she was arrested on suspicion of Rikki’s murder in 1995, her other children were also in care.
He said: “When you were asked if you had murdered your son, what answer did you give?”
Ms Neave said: “’No, I did not.’”
Ms Neave replied: “Positively the truth and nothing but the truth.”
She went on to say she was jailed for seven years and released in 2000 after being convicted of child cruelty.
Ms Neave described calling 999 to report Rikki missing when he failed to return home from school on November 28 1994.
She said it was 12.03pm the next day when a police constable informed her Rikki’s body had been found.
Ms Neave went on to describe events leading up to Rikki’s disappearance.
His step-father, Dean Neave, visited the house with friends the day before and promised to return to celebrate his and Ms Neave’s wedding anniversary, though he never did, she said.
She told jurors: “I asked did he get me anything? He said, ‘There’s no reason why I would give you anything.’”
That night, Ms Neave said she slept badly due to her screaming baby daughter Sheradyn.
She told jurors Rikki argued with his three-year-old sister Rochelle, with the pair “shouting and screaming”.
“He was fighting her, she was fighting him,” she said.
“It P’d me off – it was early in the morning.”
Mr Price asked: “Where were you when you last saw your son alive?”
Ms Neave said: “I was at home in my living room. I was sitting up, dozing, trying to keep my eyes open.
Mr Price said: “What was Rikki doing the last time you saw him alive?”
She said Rikki was wearing his school uniform, including a white shirt and grey trousers, and later identified them after they were recovered from the wheelie bin.
Ms Neave told jurors Rikki had a Game Boy he was fond of that she thought had been taken by police after his murder.
Ms Neave will be cross-examined on Tuesday.
Watson, now 40, of no fixed address, has denied Rikki’s murder.
