', The closest either boy came to offering an explanation was when Jon was asked by police why he had taken James's shoe off by the railway tracks. Forensic and pathology evidence was a huge challenge for everyone, not least the jury who were shown pictures of James injuries. It is not known whether the boy watched any of his father's adult movies. wo. His mother called him hyperactive since, even more than his friend, he was scarcely able to sit still. 'When you have got people in the area threatening to blow your kneecaps off every moment of the day - that's just the way they are. He was fearful, he was weak and he was provoked," she said. Sometimes Robert would sag off on his own, but it was more fun with a friend. Thompson did what he often did, looked around, grabbing clumsily at his tongue. gk. Hope. Just four years earlier, we had all covered the Hillsborough disaster and come together in grief. He was repulsed because he found Robert's disdain for authority scary. It was during this time that Susan, having suffered from clinical depression for many years, had experienced what were later described as two traumatic incidences, both of which Jon would have witnessed. He gets upset. They were intent on killing. Child killer Mary Bell and Maxine Carr, the former girlfriend of Soham murderer Ian Huntley, are the others. Susan Venables, mother of Jon - referred to throughout the trial as Boy B - blamed her son's 'weakness' for the murder of James Bulger, . On many occasions, Susan was observed physically and verbally assaulting Jon. Susan seemed happy with the arrangement, although, for the children, this type of relationship would have been just one more confusing anomaly to cope with in the wake of an already confusing time in their young lives. The abduction and brutal murder of this two-year-old by Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, who were just 10 at the time, prompted a conversation in Britain that we are still having today. When Jon's parents gave a recent press interview, it was Mrs Venables who did most of the talking; the father just sat and cried. At night, for instance, the two boys would lie in bed together and suck each others thumbs. Something went wrong, please try again later. She said that Jon was always "loving, caring, thoughtful and considerate . The press were gobbling it up. He said he was frightened of Robert's older brother. He was fearful, he was weak and he was provoked. qu fy. One of the focal points of the local community was QD Videos at the bottom of Robert's street, where the kids would browse through the horror stacks, discussing their favourites knowledgeably. Thompson & Venebales. He didn't want to hurt James. Both Ann and the children knew well the sting of palm against flesh, and Bobby often used these beatings to ensure that his wife and children conformed. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? Ann Thompson and Susan and Neil Venables didn't need to imagine. And there were rewards for breaking rules. Nicola had to exchange some clothes at TJ Hughes, Denise waited nearby, watching the children. Finally, in 1988, while on a family vacation, the breaking point came, when Big Bobby, then thirty-four, began an adulterous relationship with a friend and neighbor in her fifties. I have lost my son as well. Their faces affected me deeply. She was paranoid about being discovered. What doing well means is anybodys guess. In 2010, Meggie Atkinson, then children's commissioner for England, called for the age of criminal responsibility to be raised to 12 in light of the trial. Between January and the day of the murder Robert had absconded 37 half days out of a possible 60 . It was their sons picked up by detectives. And in Lower Lane police station when he was being questioned about the murder she had to be told that her harsh words were inhibiting him from confessing. The government will be required to respond within 14 days if as the petition achieves more than 100,000 signatures. Their kids have got everything. His body, defiled and broken in two by a train, two miles from where hed been taken, was foundtwo days later. Please review our, You need to be a subscriber to join the conversation. David Sharrock, Maggie O'Kane, and Edward Pilkington look at the lives of the rebels who turned to killing, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. 'I couldn't be arsed talking about them,' said one. The end of the court case was not the end of course. Both were banned from ever returning to Liverpool and given new identities at a reported cost of 1.5million. "He tends to be a bit hyperactive so his concentration did go a bit, but apart from that he is quite bright, no worries.". These are the words of an officer who was in the police station when DCI Geoff MacDonald of Merseyside Police broke the news to Denise that James was dead. The prosecution, led by Richard Henriques QC, made its case quite simply really, using the journey they took James on to tell the story. They went on family outings together, slept together, and when Susan did find a place, virtually coexisted between the two homes. School had no hold on him - there was no corporal punishment or other form of penalty that touched him. She visited regularly and they would hold family anniversaries in the, place where he was held. They rejected suggestions that he could have watched Child's Play Three, a film that his father had rented three weeks before James's death, which, it has been claimed, included scenes similar to those of the attack on the two-year-old. ', A psychoanalyst and child psychotherapist comes up with yet another possible explanation. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Without anyone in the family to turn to for support, he had to look outside for people whose swaggering aggression he could emulate. Their parents entered the courtroom; The Venables arrived together, Ann Thompson came with supporters but no sign of Robert's father. "On the other hand, you are looking at him and you are saying 'Well, I know why - because he is so weak'. He always had plenty of friends. It is just heartbreaking.". Venables and Thompson abducted, tortured and killed two-year-old James in Liverpool in 1993 when they were both aged just 10. Thompson and Venables, now both 27 years old, are among only four individuals in the UK whose crimes are so notorious that they have been given lifelong anonymity. He began telling his father that he believed his parents loved his brother and sister more than they did him, and, at one point, implored his father to send him to school with his siblings. If it suited his moodwhich it frequently didBobby would beat the boys, curse at them, and threaten to send them to a home for children who misbehaved. I am providing this page for those who are interested in learning more about the lives of these boys prior to their offense. She acknowledged her son had committed a terrible crime but claimed that her innocent younger children were being denied a proper education because of having to abandon their homes to escape attacks. The best instincts led hundreds, including me, to lay flowers a few days later at the site of James horrific end. In the last few years she stopped drinking in the Top House and tried to keep things together. They knew what they were doing," another wrote. On Sundays he used to watch Thunderbirds. On November 24, 1993, the two boys, by then aged 11, became the youngest defendants to be sentenced for murder in a British court. According to a legal source we spoke to this week, Jon Venables parents have sought to be a support for their son, despite the enormity of his crime. What a horror it all was. Counsel for the prosecution, Richard Henriques QC, made it clear all three elements needed to be proved for a murder conviction. In all, they played truant four times. You know, we just try and help him as best we can to try to come to terms with things. View the profiles of people named Susan Venables. I just think of James and his Dad and about all that fun with his little boy, like I had with Jon.". Find out more, The latest offers and discount codes from popular brands on Telegraph Voucher Codes, As James Bulger killer Jon Venables is sent back to prison, Shelagh Fogarty writes about her experiences as a young reporter on the case at the time, James Bulger, aged 2 years old, being led away in the New Strand shopping centre in the Bootle area of Liverpool, Denise Bulger arrives at Preston Crown Couty on November 24 1993, Shelagh Fogarty was a young reporter at the time of the murder, The police van carrying Venables and Thompson arrives at Preston Crown Court, Sarah Ferguson exclusive: Meghan has made Harry very happy, 32 best gifts for her: top present ideas to buy for mother's day in 2023, Midlife women are being told to sit down and shut up and not just by men, Imogen Stubbs: Its become less and less acceptable to age, Cost of HRT set to be slashed in new prescription scheme, Magic Mike and the naked truth about male strippers, Inside the James Bulger files 25 years on. But that is the common lot of thousands of 10-year-olds who have not turned into murderers. In quest of companionship, he occasionally bullied his younger brother into truanting with him, and, in an effort to impress his peers, frequently boasted of his late-night exploits on the railway line, but failed to attract much attention. Both of them struggled at school and had been lumped into the year below their age. Grainy CCTV footage later showed the innocent toddler being led away by Venables and Thompson, who marched the little boy through the streets of Bootle for two miles - a walk that would have taken hours given his size. 'I was the softie,' Neil Venables said. He caused me such anxiety, the teacher later recalled of Jon in a statement given to the Merseyside police. The beginnings of the friendship were inauspicious enough. Venables on the other hand was becoming increasingly agitated in the police interviews. It was to be an adult trial, both boys appearing every day in the full gaze of whoever was in that room, but neither giving evidence directly to the court. "One mystery surrounding the murder of James Bulger case is why the 'experts' insisted that Jon Venables was rehabilitated. As their sweet voices rang around the courtroom, Venables hid his face in his oversized blazer and cried. fun to be with". When he played truant he was scared she would come and find him. James Bulgers mother Denise claims that she managed to track down Thompson six years ago, planning to confront him but instead stared at him from the opposite side of the street, full of rage but unable to act. Our feelings haven't changed towards him. It's high time they were investigated. . Natural Landmarks. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. The documentary on the James Bulger murder case sparked anger after viewers criticised the Channel 4 show for "sympathising" with the toddler's killers. Self pity? At first, Robert seemed to respond well to this, taking the initiative to help feed and clothe the baby, and doing what he could to please his mother. The shocking murder that shook the nation, Both Venables and Robert Thompson were 10 years-old when they tortured and killed 2 year-old James Bulger, Thompson and Venables were tried as adults, James Bulger, aged 2 years old, being led away in a shopping centre in Liverpool, Denise Fergus denied having anything to do with the Channel 4 documentary about her son, James Bulger's murder case could now be investigated, The petition is on nearly 15,000 signatures, James Bulger was just two when he was brutally murdered, He had been out shopping with his mum Denise, James was made to walk two miles before being left for dead on a disused rail line, Denise tirelessly campaigned to have their sentence increased, Denise once admitted she's lived 'in fear' since the trial. his killers were just 10 years old and attention focused on their upbringing and dysfunctional home life. The only sign he was discomforted by hearing it was a near constant pulling of his tongue in his hands. Ms Truss has written a 4,000-word essay in todays Sunday Telegraph in which she stood by her plans to boost economic growth during her short tenure in No 10, Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker fails to stop team-mate Joel Matip (not pictured) from scoring an own goal during the Premier League match at Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, A member of the public lines the road into St Michaels on Wyre, Lancashire, with missing posters of Nicola Bulley, 45, as police continue their search for the missing woman who was last seen on the morning of Friday January 27, when she was spotted walking her dog on a footpath by the nearby River Wyre, Not your usual prisoner! At Radio City in Liverpool the calls were coming through from Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Little Bobby went to visit his brothers every so often, eager to show them the latest playthings he had robbed from the assorted shops nearby. The citys worst instincts produced the wrongful hounding of a family whose sons people decided were responsible. 'America is the land of shopping malls. I don't think so. I would say he was provoked. Jon spent Sunday to Thursday with his mum and the rest of every week with his dad. The Radio Merseyside newsroom, where I was working at the time, was full and everyone was on this story one way or another. One could draw some parallels between the film's plot and James Bulger's death. Following the arrest of their sons it was reported that the mothers of the boys had been attacked and vilified in. Facebook gives people the power. Online Marketing For Your Business A newsroom reporter who was not working on the case fended off transatlantic interview demands, saying that it was not enough that he had a Liverpool accent. He had been stripped from the waist down,. Jon's parents, who sat in court for most of the trial, said they grieved for the Bulgers. ROBERT had a reputation in the neighbourhood for being a troublemaker. Teachers later reported that whereas the boys were manageable when separated, together their behavior worsened dramatically. 'He always seemed perfectly well behaved and I think he looked on me as some kind of grandma. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express. One investigating police officer said: 'You could look into the eyes of Robert and knew you were looking at evil.' Will you tell his Mum Im sorry?. The toddler's mum Denise Bulger was at the counter of a butchers in the Strand shopping centre in Bootle, Liverpool, on February 12, 1993, when she briefly let go of her son's hand to get some change from her purse. The week after he walked out the family's home burned down in an accidental fire. We still think the same of him as we always have. Then between 1990 and 1991, Jons teachers recognized a dramatic change in the boys behavior, which was alarming enough for one of his teachers to begin keeping a daily log. 'I thought he was all right,' said Boy B, as he was known in court - Jon Venables. 'Provided you have no court orders for debts already,' the man on the phone would add helpfully. Then they would hide their school satchels under a subway and set off on their adventure. Only two people can answer the question, and even their ability is doubtful. Members of the Up Helly Aa 'Jarl Squad' parade through the streets in Lerwick, Shetland Islands, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon using a camera during her visit to BBC Studioworks in Glasgow, Passersby chat with the police as they arrive to see King Charles III and the Princess Royal attend a church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, People at a vigil at Lurgan Park in Lurgan, Co Armagh in memory of murder victim Natalie McNally and opposing violence against women, Firefighters use hoses to dampen down at the scene of a fire at St Marks Church in Hamilton Terrace, St Johns Wood, London, which has been destroyed by the blaze which began in the early hours of the morning, Huskies pull their musher during a training run before this weekends annual Aviemore Sled Dog Rally, in Feshiebridge, A knitted topper celebrating Burns Night placed on a post box in Alloway, Ayrshire, Deer graze during sunrise at Ashton Court Estate, Bristol, where clear misty skies and a cold morning brings frost across parts of the south west UK, Ambulance workers on the picket line outside the Donnington Ambulance Hub, at Donnington, near Telford, Shropshire. Jon's parents, who sat in court for most of the trial, said they grieved for the Bulgers. Get the biggest TV headlines, recaps and insider knowledge straight to your inbox. They deal with drugs, they deal with everything. They and Ann Thompson, who has six other. The shock in the city was plain to see, but it wasn't just in Liverpool that people stared at the CCTV pictures of the boy holding James' hand, while another led the way to the exit of the shopping centre where a frantic Denise Bulger would have been desperately looking for her child. At Preston Crown Court Thompsons mother Ann and Venables parents Neil and Sue sat side by side. His grip was so strong that it took two people to pry Jon off of the boy. His mother, Susan, attributed this behavior with peer pressure and hyperactivity, and put him on a special diet, though it did nothing to quell his frequent emotional outbursts. The attitude when you live where we live is that you have to be tough or else you dont survive, she said. 'Just mad. everyone blamed Thompson and. I just heard an almighty screech. The sunrises through the sea mist over the sculpture The Couple by Sean Henry at Newbiggin-by-the-Sea on the Northumberland coast. Just seeing the size of them that first time, the childish figures they naturally were, caught my breath. Since his 14-year-old brother, Phillip , had already tried to stab him, the social services agreed. After spending just eight years in custody, Britain's youngest killers were released and given lifetime anonymity in the UK. The appearance in court this week of Venables, now a 35-year-old man, on charges of possessing indecent images of children, was a jarring reminder that, still a quarter of a century on, his rehabilitation is more an ambition than a reality. Express. A video still of James Bulger, aged 2 years old, being led away in the 'New Strand' shopping centre. As the paedophile killer pleaded guilty on Wednesday to possessing more than 1,000 indecent images of children and a "paedo manual" - his parents words on their son's involvement make disturbing reading. Robert was number five of seven. Im bringing them up on my own, but if I went round and screwed every warehouse, my kids would have everything, too. Even so, while Roberts community was rough, his home life was perhaps worse, and could hardly be considered a refuge for the boy. Heck, we don't even have murderers that young in New York.'. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. She claimed, however, that she was completely unaware of Jons erratic behaviors at school, had never seen any evidence to support them (such as cuts on his arms or holes in his socks), and dismissed the possibility that many of the occurrences cited by the teacher had ever taken place. Every day the public gallery was packed with students, pensioners, mothers, teenagers, all drawn to the courtroom spectacle as to a TV soap. Both parents hope was that he would make something of his life and eventually find some peace. March 10, 2021 - 20:29 GMT Eve Crosbie. Superintendent Albert Kirby, who headed the investigation, doesn't believe in the under-belly of Liverpool nonsense or stuff about the disintegration of modern society, the collapse of the nineties cities. Walton Village Financial Services would lend you pounds 300 for Christmas and demand a total of pounds 460 in repayment. so they were put in a lower year. "I think my son's concentration wasn't the way it should have been, but he wasn't slow. Look at mine. Eventually, Bobby walked out on his family, but not before beating his wife one final time. But his progress took a nose dive in September 1991 when he was transferred into another class.
