Rikki Neave: Mum's child cruelty probed at murder trial

The murder trial has heard that six-year-old Rikki Neave often had to make his own breakfast and tea at home

The mother of a six-year-old boy found strangled to death in woodland has denied grabbing her son around his neck as a "punishment for being naughty".

Rikki Neave's naked body was found near his Peterborough home on 29 November 1994 and his mother Ruth Neave was found not guilty of his murder in 1996.

James Watson, who was 13 at the time of Rikki's death, is on trial for murder.

Mr Watson's barrister outlined a series of alleged abuses that led to Ms Neave being jailed for child cruelty.

Rikki's mother was cleared of murdering her son, but was sentenced to seven years in jail after admitting child cruelty and neglect.

The current trial at the Old Bailey heard the murder inquiry was reopened 20 years later when a DNA breakthrough allegedly pointed to Mr Watson, who was a local boy who had been seen with Rikki on the day he went missing - 28 November 1994.

Mr Watson, now aged 40 and of no fixed address, denies murder.

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

Rikki's mother was cross-examined by Mr Watson's defence barrister, Jennifer Dempster QC, about why she had admitted child cruelty.

Last week the court heard Ms Neave say she had been "bullied into it and I did not know what I was pleading guilty to".

To Ms Dempster's question, Ms Neave, speaking via video-link, said: "I thought I was pleading guilty to just smacking the children and that's it."

Ms Dempster suggested Rikki bore the brunt of his mother's cruelty, telling the court of a number of incidents including when he was left screaming, having been locked out of the house in his pyjamas.

Ms Neave allegedly went on to hold her son around his neck in front of police officers until he went "red in the face".

On another occasion, Ms Neave allegedly held Rikki upside down on a bridge as he screamed.

She also grabbed Rikki around the throat, pushed him against a wall and lifted him up "to the point his feet were about a foot above the ground", Ms Dempster said.

She suggested Ms Neave would grab Rikki around the neck and push him against a wall "as a punishment for being naughty".

Ms Neave repeatedly denied the events happened.

Ruth Neave was pictured in 1995 after the funeral of her son Rikki

The court heard of a further incident in August 1994 when Ms Dempster said Rikki's mother "lost her temper" after her son called her an unpleasant name.

She said Ms Neave forced him against a wall, put a bottle of washing up liquid into his mouth and "then you squeezed it."

Ms Neave responded: "No that never happened. I put some Fairy Liquid into his mouth, but it was empty."

A month before his disappearance, Ms Neave allegedly threatened to kill Rikki after he asked for sweets in a newsagents, jurors heard.

Ms Neave also wrote "idiot" on Rikki's forehead, saying it was a "French word", it was claimed.

Ms Dempster said: "By November 1994 you were at the end of your tether with the children.

"I suggest by November 28th there were two loves in your life - the first was [her then-husband and Rikki's stepfather] Dean Neave and the second was speed."

Ms Neave said: "I do not agree."

The court heard she told police that Mr Neave had threatened to murder Rikki after the child called him a "waste of space" the day before his disappearance.

Ms Dempster asked Ruth Neave: "Is that one example of your attempts both then and now to put the blame and the spotlight on to other people and away from yourself?"

Ms Neave denied it.

More from the trial:

• Mum 'told the truth' when she denied murder of son

• Mum blamed head for 'facilitating' boy's death

• Dead boy's mum 'was writing about perfect murder'

• Witness says she saw boy with alleged killer

• Zip-shaped mark found on strangled boy, court told

Ms Dempster asked: "You were told if you do not plead guilty to the cruelty charges you may go away for the murder for a very long time?

"And so it comes to this - that you now say in 2022 you were not guilty of the cruelty and neglect charges, save that you smacked your children from time to time?"

Ms Neave said: "Yes, it is actually, if you don't mind."

Ms Dempster continued: "The judge told you, you were guilty of appalling and systematic cruelty to your children, and he was right.

"The judge described you as wholly unfit to be a mother, and that's the truth.

"The judge told you that the harm you had done to your children was incalculable."

Ms Neave repeatedly denied the barrister's claims.

An artist's sketch from last week shows Ruth Neave on a video link, prosecutor John Price QC (centre) and James Watson (right)

Asked what sentence she was expecting for cruelty to her children, Ms Neave replied: "Probation - that's what I got told by my solicitor."

Ms Dempster said: "You must have been horrified when the judge sentenced you to seven years' imprisonment because in your mind all you had done was smacked your children?"

Ms Neave, who has had no contact with her other children since, replied: "To put it bluntly, yeah."

The court also heard Ms Neave admit to having taken "dope" and "speed", but said she stopped when she was pregnant.

Ms Neave denied claims that she would inject speed six or seven times a day or that she had taken drugs the night before Rikki went missing.

She admitted dealing in speed until October 1994 to provide money to "feed the kids".

Ms Dempster said: "I suggest it's well known and it's true you were using the children to collect drugs."

Ms Neave replied: "I never used the children to get drugs for me."

The trial continues.