The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
A 'monster' says Ruth
The mother of strangled schoolboy Rikki Neave has described her son’s killer James Watson as a “monster”, as he was found guilty of the youngster’s murder after 27 years.
Ruth Neave, 53, said Watson had taken her son’s future away from her and her daughters.
Watson, 41, was 13 years old when he lured six-yearold Rikki to woods near his home in Peterborough in November 1994.
He was found guilty of murder by majority verdict at the Old Bailey on Thursday.
Ms Neave was cleared of Rikki’s murder in 1996 but jailed for seven years after admitting child cruelty.
She criticised the original investigation, which wrongly focused on a theory that she killed her son and used a buggy to dump his body, and said that police and social services “totally ruined mine and my daughters’ lives”.
In a statement she said: “The only thing now is to close this chapter in my life and open a new one.
“I wonder what Rikki would be like today, married, children? Who knows?
“But this monster has taken that all from me and my daughters.”
She praised jurors for making the “right decision” and thanked “people that believed in me and Rikki”.
“This is not the time to celebrate, as it should never have happened,” said Ms Neave.
Meanwhile, the 999 call made by Rikki Neave’s mum to report her son missing on the day he was murdered has been released by police.
Rikki was last seen alive by mum Ruth Neave at around 9.30am on November 28 1994.
Later that day he was murdered by James Watson. Watson (41) now faces a life sentence after being found guilty of murder at The Old Bailey.
In the 999 call, made at around 6pm, Ruth Neave tells the call handler she is reporting her son missing as he has not returned home from school.
She tells the call handler six year old Rikki was dressed in his school uniform when he went missing – describing his white shirt and ‘little blue coat.’
When asked if it was possible Rikki had gone to a friend’s house, Ruth said that he had never done that before, and was normally home ‘no later than quarter to four.’
Officers attended his home and extensive searches were carried out in the area, supported by local people.
The following day at 12.05pm Rikki’s body was discovered in the wooded area off Eye Road, close to Willoughby Court – a five-minute walk from his home.
In a statement released through police, one of Rikki’s sisters, Rebecca Harvey, said that “sadly” Rikki’s father, and her father, Trevor Harvey, “is no longer with us to see his son’s justice”.
“Nothing will bring Rikki back, but Rikki has finally received some justice today and we are all relieved,” she said.
“Although this day is a painful reminder of the loss we have all suffered, justice has finally been served.
“It’s the outcome we wanted. The defendant has been convicted, finally.
“We are grateful for this casebeingheardagain,consideringthecomplexitiesthrough totheend,andwewouldliketo thankthejuryandthemajority ofthepolice,whonevergaveup in the new investigation.