Rikki Neave: Mother writing a book on murder, court hears

Rikki Neave, six, was found strangled and naked in woodland in Peterborough in 1994

A mother cleared of murdering her six-year-old son was interested in witchcraft and was writing a book on the "perfect murder", a court was told.

Rikki Neave's naked body was found in woodland near his home in Peterborough on 29 November 1994.

Ruth Neave was accused of his murder, but was found not guilty after a trial in 1996.

James Watson, who was 13 at the time, is now standing trial and denies murder.

The Old Bailey heard from Martin Reed, a former friend of Ms Neave, who said at the time of her son's disappearance she was "very, very upset but she swung from moody to angry to tearful".

"It was just a wide range of emotions," he said.

Mr Reed said Ms Neave was angry about "the fact that it actually happened, that her little boy had been taken".

Under cross-examination, he said Ms Neave had had an interest in the occult and witchcraft ever since he had known her.

"She was talking about Tarot and different things like that. It's all vague recollection. I cannot really remember anything specific," Mr Reed said.

Police on the scene shortly after the murder of Rikki Neave in Peterborough in 1994

Jennifer Dempster QC, defending, asked: "Were you aware Ruth Neave had written a book, or started a book, about the perfect murder?"

The witness replied: "No, this is the first I have heard about it."

The defence barrister went on: "Were you aware that she had a great deal of books and magazines at her house about murder and unsolved crimes?"

Mr Reed replied: "I knew she had an interest in murders and unsolved crime, yes, because of the books [and] theories on certain cases which she discussed."

The court heard a statement by social worker Deborah Lawson about a series of visits to Ms Neave and her children in 1994.

Jurors heard Ms Neave was seen "ranting and raving" at her children but was not violent towards them.

In the statement read out by the prosecution, Ms Lawson said: "Ruth would shout and swear and point her finger at the kids but would never physically hurt them.

"On no occasion have I seen Ruth physically abuse her children."

The court was told 11 days before Rikki's death, Ms Neave told Ms Lawson about a "murder story which she had been typing".

Ms Neave handed over a plastic bag containing the typed sheets and told her "you might enjoy reading this but it might keep you awake - it's a horror story", the statement said.

Ms Lawson's statement said: "I put the plastic bag in the footwell of my car.

"I did not attempt to read it as I did not have the time."

After Rikki was found dead, Ms Lawson was asked to hand over the story to police.

The prosecution previously said Ms Neave was wrongly accused of involvement in her son's death, with evidence showing she could not have been responsible.

Ms Neave reported Rikki missing on 28 November 1994 and a day later his body was found posed in a star shape in woods near his home on the Welland estate.

After a cold case review in 2015, Mr Watson's DNA was found on Rikki's clothes, which had been dumped in a nearby wheelie bin, the court heard earlier.

The trial continues.