The Watts family have released a tribute to Becky following today’s verdicts.
The statement reads: “This is a statement that we never wanted to provide. We wish that Becky was still alive; instead we have spent the last five weeks hearing evidence about how she came to be killed by someone that she regarded as her own family.
“We would like to thank the police and the prosecution legal team for all of their hard work and thorough investigation. We saw for ourselves the amount of work that went in to bring about justice for Becky.
“She was like a tornado, tadalafil hurricane and sunbeam all at once. She came into your life and made you feel alive.”
“We would also like to thank the jury for taking the time to carefully listen to the often very harrowing evidence; we know that this wasn’t an easy task.
“We would also like to put on record our very sincere and heartfelt thanks to the staff at Flax Bourton Mortuary. We do not underestimate how they went above and beyond their duty in ensuring that we had the opportunity to see Becky one last time. It was something that gave us great comfort and we will always be grateful for all they did.
“It has been difficult and, at times, deeply distressing for us to listen to the evidence in this case – not only the detail of her death and what happened afterwards but also having to listen to how some people described Becky.
“We loved Becky and knew her better than most. We can tell you that she was a beautiful, happy, funny, feisty, caring, loyal and witty girl. She was like a tornado, hurricane and sunbeam all at once. She came into your life and made you feel alive.
“She had got through difficulties in her life and had gained the confidence to have a boyfriend and make friendships with people that she clearly thought the world of.
“She was a typical teenager, sometimes testing the boundaries as 16-year-old children do. She was not this greedy and manipulative kid that some people made out in court.
“Throughout this awful ordeal, we have been worried about the public perception of us. Please understand that we made a choice to try and keep a low profile as far as the media is concerned. This is for a number of reasons including wanting the police investigation and court trial go ahead without any problems.
“We recognise that the media have their job to do and were of course of great help when Becky was missing, but we do not want to be part of anything that goes on about the details of Becky’s death and what happened afterwards.
“We would urge everyone who has teenagers to listen to your kids; don’t ignore or dismiss what they are trying to say.”
“We want to forget and move on from the awful things about her dismemberment and give the dignity back to Becky, which was taken from her during her death. We do not want to be part of any distasteful process where people profit from her brutal murder.
“We would like to thank the staff and pupils from Becky’s KTS school who are undertaking an initiative to have a light installed in St George’s Park in memory of Becky. We feel that the thought behind this of Becky being a shining light, helping to keep young people safe is a fitting tribute. We have contributed personally to their fundraising and we hope that the relevant authorities will do all they can to ensure that this can take place.
“Finally, we would urge everyone who has teenagers to listen to your kids; don’t ignore or dismiss what they are trying to say. If they are feeling worried about something, take your time to listen to them. Above all, cherish them as time with them is precious and can be too short.”