Mother of murder-accused James Watson accused of 'covering up' for him at Rikki Neave trial

The mother of the man charged with murdering schoolboy Rikki Neave has been accused in court of "covering up" for him.

Rikki Neave's naked body was found near his Peterborough home on 29 November 1994. He had been strangled.

James Watson, who was 13 at the time of Rikki's death, denies murder.

After Rikki's death, Watson told police he visited his mother that day at the home she shared with her new partner in the town.

At the time, Shirley Watson - now Shirley Cliffe - denied it and also told police of a radio report he claimed to have heard about the death of a two-year-old child three days before the murder.

In her statement in 1995, Ms Cliffe said: "I have been asked to explain a comment I made to my partner's daughter Melanie Giddings on November 27 1994.

"Two days prior to this, I had a conversation by phone with my son James Watson...

"James told me that a baby had been found over the dyke near Welland. He wanted me to say if what he had heard was true. I told him that I had not heard this before and knew nothing of what was said."

Giving evidence at the Old Bailey on Monday, Ms Cliffe was asked to confirm her statement. She repeatedly told jurors that it was not true.

She said she had discussed the case with her son, and when asked if the phone call was mentioned, she replied "not that I can think of".

Prosecutor John Price QC asked: "Have you, Ms Cliffe, come to realise the significance of the fact of this conversation taking place as it did before Rikki Neave died? Has it been explained to you by your son? Are you lying to protect your son?"

Ms Cliffe said: "No, I am not."

Mr Price asked: "Have you been asked to lie for your son?"

Ms Cliffe raised her voice as she replied: "No, I have not, 100%."

'Covering up for your son'

She also denied telling police Watson did not visit her house on the day Rikki went missing, contrary to what he had told police.

Mr Price asserted: "You are covering up for your son, are you not?"

Ms Cliffe said: "No, I am not."

Cross-examining, Jennifer Dempster QC suggested that Ms Cliffe had got "confused" in her original statement.

Ms Cliffe, who worked was working as a cleaner in 1994, tearfully agreed.

Jurors have been told Watson was sighted with Rikki by residents on the Welland estate on the morning of November 28 1994, when both children should have been at school.

Following a cold case review, Watson's DNA was found on Rikki's clothes which were dumped in a bin near the woods, jurors have heard.

Last week, a former teacher recalled finding Watson with multiple copies of the front page of the local paper, which he said were to display in the children's home in March, Cambridgeshire, where he was living.