James Watson Loses Appeal in 1994 Murder Case of Rikki Neave

James Watson, convicted last year for the 1994 murder of six-year-old Rikki Neave, has had his appeal against his conviction dismissed by the Court of Appeal. Watson, who was 13 at the time of the murder and is now 42, had received a life sentence with a minimum term of 15 years in April of last year.

At a hearing in London in June, Watson’s legal representative, Jennifer Dempster KC, contended that a fair trial had been impossible due to the “wholesale loss and destruction of evidence” which prevented the exploration of potential other suspects. However, the Crown Prosecution Service, represented by John Price KC, argued that Watson’s case hadn’t been affected, with no shown prejudice caused by the loss of identified material.

Rikki Neave was found strangled, naked, and posed in a star shape in woodland near his home on the Welland estate in November 1994. The case remained a high-profile cold case until DNA found on Rikki’s clothing led to a re-examination two decades later. Watson, also a resident of the Welland estate, was found guilty by a jury and sentenced at the Old Bailey in London last June. Previously, Rikki’s mother, Ruth Neave, had been acquitted of the murder in 1996.

During the appeal, Watson’s lawyers argued the prosecution was an “abuse” of process, emphasizing the impossibility of a fair trial due to the unavailability of crucial exhibits and the admission of “bad character” evidence by the trial judge. The evidence indicated Watson’s sexual interest in young boys and involvement in strangulation. The trial judge, however, maintained that the jury could infer a sexual element to the killing, a decision upheld by the appeal judges.

Reacting to the dismissal of the appeal, Ruth Neave expressed her gratitude to the police and prosecutors for their dedication, noting that the ruling marked the end of a distressing journey and the beginning of a new chapter where both she and her son could find peace.