Rikki Neave’s mother seeks to clear her name after a man is found guilty of the murder of a boy

Ruth Neave was convicted of child abuse, ahead of a cold case investigation, after a trial that acquitted her of the 1994 murder of her six-year-old son. led to the conviction of the “monster” James Watson, who strangled Rikki to death

The mother of murdered schoolboy Rikki Neave is hoping to appeal her child abuse conviction.

Ruth Neave was convicted of child abuse after a trial that acquitted her of the 1994 murder of her six-year-old son.

Rikki, who was found strangled in a wood near Peterborough nearly 28 years ago.

Neave said she was advised by her attorney to plead guilty to all of the crimes and denies all the allegations.

She now claims she lived under suspicion of getting away with Rikki for almost 30 years murder and hopes to clear her name.

Neave says suspicion plagued her during this year’s trial of James Watson, who was convicted of Rikki’s murder.

During Watson’s trial, a court heard how the now 41-year-old most likely used Rikki’s zipped coat as a ligature in the unprovoked attack.

Neave and her husband Gary Rogers say the conviction of the “monster” Watson is not the end of this journey and are now planning to try to appeal the child cruelty conviction.

They also both claim that it was failures by the authorities that prompted the police prosecution into Rikki’s murder.

Neave tells The guard : “I wish I could be happy, I wish I could be cheerful – but I just can’t.”

The mother, whose other children have distanced themselves from her, admits her life was “messy” and she “beat the children sometimes” but she denies child cruelty – including alleging she starved, tortured and Sent Rikki to buy drugs.

Neave claims allegations including hanging Rikki by his ankles over his bridge were fabricated by people looking for “fifteen minutes of fame” – saying their actions were “malicious”.

When asked why she pleaded guilty, she said: “I was told by my attorney to plead guilty.

“I have refused to plead guilty to murder. I pleaded guilty to neglect because I thought it was just a smack.”

Neave says she lived in “pure hell” during the arrest, arraignment and sentencing of Watson – who was just 13 when he murdered Rikki.

Rikki disappeared on November 28, 1994 and his naked body was found the following day in a wood in a star-shaped position near his home in Peterborough.

The court heard how the ailing Watson stripped Rikki and used the helpless child to fulfill a “morbid” fantasy he told his mother three days before the murder.

Watson, who has eluded justice for more than 28 years, was convicted by a majority at the Old Bailey on Thursday.

In 2015, an investigation into Rikki’s murder was launched and Watson was arrested after a match was made between his DNA profile and samples of Rikki’s clothing.