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MONSTER'S SMILE
Chilling moment Rikki Neave’s ‘calm’ killer SMIRKS and tells mum ‘I’ll be OK’ as he’s arrested for murdering boy, 6
THIS is the chilling moment Rikki Neave's killer smirked and told his mum "I'll be OK" as he was arrested for murdering the six-year-old.
James Watson was just 13 when he strangled Rikki just five minutes from his home in Peterborough, Cambs, in 1994.
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He then "deliberately posed" the naked youngster into a "star shape with outstretched arms and his legs placed wide apart" for his sexual gratification.
Chillingly, Watson stayed with Rikki's body for an hour before leaving the youngster uncovered in woodland.
Rikki's mum Ruth Neave later stood trial for his murder but was cleared - leading to a cold case mystery.
Never-before-seen police bodycam footage shows the moment Watson was arrested for murdering the youngster 22 years later.
The clip, which will appear in tomorrow's episode of 24 Hours in Police Custody on Channel 4, reveals how eerily calm the killer was.
Officers can be seen banging on the door while Watson appears to be asleep before they get a key to the house from his mum.
After being told if he understands he is being arrested for Rikki's murder, the monster calmly replies: "Yes."
At one point, Watson loudly yawns and rubs his face as his jeans are checked by police.
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He then hugs his mother goodbye and tells her "I'm going to be OK" before smirking towards the camera.
One officer tells the show: "Could you say it's shock maybe? But he wasn't displaying shock, he was just very calm."
After his arrest in 2016, Watson fled to Europe with a pal who promised to take him to Thailand.
But his Far East hopes were dashed when he ended up homeless and wandering the streets of Portugal.
He even emailed his probation officer saying: "I'm in a world of s**t".
A European Arrest Warrant was issued requesting Watson's extradition for breaching the terms of his licence.
He was arrested in Lisbon at the Consulate building and he was flown home on August 12.
MONSTER CAGED
Watson was last month jailed for life with a minimum of 15 years after being convicted of murder.
The fiend has a string of previous convictions - including sexual assault, burglary, theft of a police uniform and unmarked cop car and smashing up a children's home.
It can also be revealed he abused a five-year-old child a year before the murder and throttled a girlfriend during sex.
Jurors heard how he had been seen with the youngster on the day he vanished and was spoken to by police at the time.
But he told "many lies", claimed he did not know Rikki and made no mention of "physical contact".
It was only when his DNA showed on Rikki's clothes that he was charged with murder more than 20 years later.
Ruth Neave had called 999 to report her son missing on the evening of November 28, 1994.
Rikki's body was discovered the next day by a police officer in woodland near the housing estate in Peterborough where he lived.
His school uniform was found in a wheelie bin around 150 yards away.
The laces on the his shoes were still tied, three buttons were missing from his shirt and his jacket contained his underwear and socks and some toys.
BRUTAL KILLING
Rikki had patterned marks on the front of his neck that could have been caused by the zip on his coat - suggesting he was probably attacked from behind.
A post-mortem found the cause of death was "ligature strangulation".
His death would have followed within "no less than 30 seconds" from when pressure was first applied.
The location of the zip marks on Rikki's neck suggest he "didn't see it coming" when he "willingly" walked into the woods with his killer.
"Vulnerable" Rikki was known to social services and had been placed on the "at risk register" at the time of his death.
His mother was charged with murder and child cruelty six months after her son's brutal death.
She admitted cruelty towards Rikki and his two sisters but denied and was acquitted of murder in 1996.
Ruth was wrongly accused because police found a picture of Leonardo Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man that resembled the position her son's body was found in.
The case was opened again in 2015 and tests on adhesive tape from Rikki's clothes showed a DNA match with Watson.
The court heard he was seen with Rikki on the day he disappeared and was spoken to by police as a witness.
A youth had also been seen walking out of a cul-de-sac where Rikki's clothes were later recovered.
At the time, Watson was "exhibiting a grotesque interest in the subject of child murder", it was said.
Teachers also allegedly noticed a "conspicuous pre-occupation with the extensive reporting of the fate of Rikki Neave".
POLICE APOLOGY
Cambridgeshire Police have now apologised for the delay in bringing Watson to justice.
Assistant Chief Constable Dan Vajzovic, Cambridgeshire Constabulary said: “I want to apologise to everyone who has been impacted by the horrendous murder of Rikki, for the length of time taken from the point that Ruth was acquitted to the review of this case in 2014 which led to our successful reinvestigation.
“I am sorry that we did not bring James Watson to justice sooner. We now have revised cold case procedures so that unsolved cases are routinely reviewed and where new evidence or information is provided on a case its review is prioritised and looked at immediately.
“From 2014 we mounted what become a complex and protracted investigation. I am proud of the investigating team’s determination and commitment to this case which resulted in the conviction of James Watson.
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“I hope that this conviction will bring some comfort to all of Rikki’s family and my thoughts remain with them all.”
- 24 Hours in Police Custody will air on Tuesday at 9pm on Channel 4
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