Fantasist facing life after being found guilty of the murder of Rikki Neave

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. He stripped Rikki and posed his naked body in a star shape for sexual gratification, deliberately “exhibiting” him near a children’s woodland den, the Old Bailey heard. After the verdict Rikki’s mother Ruth Neave thanked the jury for making “the right decision”, called her son’s killer a “monster” but said “this is not the time to celebrate as it should never have happened”. “It will be determined largely by the age he was at the time of the offence he committed.” After the verdict, Rikki’s aunts Sandra Chestney and Alison Harvey, said that “this is a day we feared would never come, 27 years is a long time to grieve without closure”. In their statement, they said: “Sadly, Rikki’s dad Trevor passed away not knowing what happened to his ‘best boy in the world’, now they can finally both be at peace together.” Rikki’s sister Rebecca added: “Although this day is a painful reminder of the loss we have all suffered, justice has finally been served.” Following the verdict, former assistant chief constable Paul Fullwood, who led the cold case, said Watson is “a fantasist, a dangerous individual, and a compulsive liar”.