The mother of schoolboy Rikki Neave had an interest in witchcraft and was writing a book on the “perfect murder”, it has been claimed in court.

Six-year-old Rikki was strangled and posed naked in a star shape in woodland near his Peterborough home in November 1994.

His mother Ruth Neave was originally accused of his murder but cleared after a trial.

The case remained unsolved for more than 20 years before a cold case review allegedly led to a breakthrough.

The DNA of James Watson, who was 13 at the time of the killing, was found on Rikki’s clothes which had been dumped in a wheelie bin, jurors have heard.

On Tuesday, a former friend of Ms Neave was called to give evidence at Watson’s murder trial at the Old Bailey.

Asked to describe her emotional state, Martin Reed said: “At the time, she was very, very upset but she swung from moody to angry to tearful. It was just a wide range of emotions.”

Prosecutor John Price QC said: “What was she angry about?”

Mr Reed replied: “The fact that it actually happened – that her little boy had been taken.”

The witness, who gave evidence by video link, said he had not seen Ms Neave since the day of her arrest.

Cross-examining, Jennifer Dempster QC asked: “Were you aware Ruth Neave had an interest in the occult and witchcraft?”

Mr Reed said: “I knew she had an interest in it ever since I have known her.

“She was talking about Tarot and different things like that. It’s all vague recollection. I cannot really remember anything specific.”

Ms Dempster said: “Were you aware Ruth Neave had written a book, or started a book, about the perfect murder?”

The witness replied: “No, this is the first I have heard about it.”

The defence barrister went on: “Were you aware that she had a great deal of books and magazines at her house about murder and unsolved crimes?”

Mr Reed replied: “I knew she had an interest in murders and unsolved crime, yes, because of the books, (and) theories on certain cases which she discussed.”

The court heard a statement by social worker Deborah Lawson detailing a series of visits to Ms Neave and her children in 1994.

Ms Neave was seen “ranting and raving” but was not violent towards Rikki or his siblings, jurors heard.

On one occasion, the mother punched a wall narrowly missing the social worker’s nose in an attempt to “intimidate” her, the court heard.

She also saw Ms Neave “screaming and swearing” at Rikki for trying to steal some chocolate, according to the statement read out by Mr Price.

On November 17 1994, 11 days before Rikki’s death, Ms Neave told Ms Lawson about a “murder story which she had been typing”, jurors heard.

On handing over a plastic bag containing the typed sheets, Ms Neave allegedly told her: “You might enjoy reading this but it might keep you awake – it’s a horror story.”

In the statement, Ms Lawson recalled: “I put the plastic bag in the footwell of my car.

“I did not attempt to read it as I did not have the time.”

After Rikki was found dead, Ms Lawson was asked to hand over the story to police.

Her statement continued: “Ruth would shout and swear and point her finger at the kids but would never physically hurt them.

“On no occasion have I seen Ruth physically abuse her children.”

In 1994, Kelly Nuttall was aged 13 and living next door to Ms Neave on the Welland Estate in Peterborough.

Asked to describe how she treated the children, Ms Nuttall told jurors: “Appalling. She was a total and utter disgrace of a mother. She was evil.”

Ms Nuttall said Ms Neave would shout, scream and hit her children and treated Rikki the worst, even saying once that she felt like “killing him”.

But on the day he went missing, Ms Nuttall had spent much of the day with Ms Neave but never saw the little boy, she said.

Under cross-examination, Ms Nuttall was asked about allegations she had made against Ms Neave to police the day after his body was found.

The witness allegedly told police that she once “caught her with her hands round Ricky’s neck” and released her grip when she saw her.

Ms Nuttall also said she had heard noises upstairs and Rikki’s bedroom door was shut on the day of his disappearance.

Asked if she had “implied” Ms Neave was responsible for the murder, she said: “Can you blame me? She was horrible, she was evil to her kids.”

Ms Nuttall was questioned about saying that she moved Rikki’s body for someone she was “scared of” and was told to “spreadeagle the body to look like there was Satanism or witchcraft involved”.

She told jurors that she only said it for “attention”.

Ms Dempster said: “Did you move Rikki’s body in a pram or any other way?”

The witness replied: “No, I did not. That’s just sick.”

The prosecution had previously said that Ms Neave was wrongly accused of involvement in her son’s death, with evidence showing she could not have been responsible.

Other witnesses have described seeing Watson with Rikki on the Welland Estate on the morning of his disappearance.

Watson, now 40, of no fixed address, has denied murder.