The Americans fed 1 1/2 minutes of the Jamie Bulger story into a 22-minute bulletin of national and international news. Fiction Writing. Just something to do.'. Aged 10, he was barely literate. Mrs Venables has also said that she felt. To widespread dismay and condemnation from the Bulger family, the killers were given new identities, courtesy of the taxpayer. Nine months later, I was one of 30 or so journalists inside Preston Crown Court when the trial began. I'm warning yer,' she would say. Heck, we don't even have murderers that young in New York.'. The judge, in sentencing the boys yesterday, voiced his strong suspicion that exposure to violent videos had played a strong part in corrupting them. During the Bulger investigation, police checked the details of 50 videos Mr Venables had hired in recent months. It set the tone for the years ahead in which there was to be no respite from the hatred. He has had Christmas presents. 'His mum was more strict. Not that he had any need to borrow his dad's. His former wife would send their boys up the street to give their father the fingers through the bay windows of his mother's house. "You look at him and you say to yourself, 'How could you be involved in anything like this?'" He believes these were evil boys. We feel so sorry for him because he must be going through so much torment. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? Why would I want to kill him? he said, referring to the slain toddler. 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. But his outbursts of anger grew worse and he was suspended for trying to throttle a boy with a ruler. Police respond to reporters of a swan being removed from the harbour by a drunk male before it being involved in a collision on Mutley Plain. I am not sure if in fact he was seen by the school psychologist, but I did complete a form for him.. His parents, Susan and Neil, accompanied him during the interview process. Jon was afraid of her. Neil had been laid off in the months prior, so the couple sold their home, and Neil moved back in with his father, before finally relocating to an apartment in Kirkdale. 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. He says 'I know, Mum'. Scores more watched proceedings from a neighbouring office block which, for the duration of the trial, came under court jurisdiction. 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. He is one of those children that if you told him to put his hand in the fire, he would. They have never come out of hiding. 2023 BBC. Their age was hard to gauge from the CCTV images, so just when you imagined you couldnt be more shocked by this story, it emerged the two accused were just 10-years-old. qu fy. In return, Jon would let Robert ride his bicycle, and from time to time he would suggest naughty deeds himself. Robert had asked once before but Jon, who had rarely truanted in his previous school, was scared and said no. They saw it with their eyes. Then they would hide their school satchels under a subway and set off on their adventure. . 'I couldn't hear anything,' she said. This time, curiosity took the upper hand: 'I wanted to see what it was like,' he said. Denise Bulger believes her son's murderers - men now - should be in prison for ever. Everyone called him Chubby, because of his round, cherub's face. The details of Jamess death were sickening. Any anxiety or animosity he might have felt was manifested largely through his school-aged thumb-sucking, a habit which elicited titters and taunts from the neighborhood children. ', 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. eb. In 1999, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the pair did not receive a fair trial and awarded costs and expenses of 29,000 to Jon Venables and 15,000 to Robert Thompson. She said that Jon was always "loving, caring, thoughtful and considerate . I didnt connect the dots until much later on. Venables was caught with 1,170 indecent photos of children on his laptop, the Old Bailey was told. 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. 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. He was fearful, he was weak and he was provoked. He was always getting prizes for maths at school. Words with the drawing, full of spelling mistakes and grammatical. After a while the 10-year-olds began to charge - a tenner an interview. The breaking point came when Jon was suspended from Broad Square after attempting to choke a classmate with a twelve-inch wooden ruler. It was on his way back to the interview room when Venables finally admitted it: "We did it. Shed never been back but she clearly missed Liverpool and had tried to recreate the city in her new home, he recalls. 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. I didnt, did I? she said to Neil during their interview with Gitta Sereny. The documentary on the James Bulger murder case sparked anger after viewers criticised the Channel 4 show for "sympathising" with the toddler's killers. There was almost total silence there apart from the sound of shoes on the ground. "It was very dark and I shouted down, shouted his name. Eventually, Bobby walked out on his family, but not before beating his wife one final time. He is broken- hearted over it. For weeks, she stayed in bed, not bothering to tend to the children, and when she finally did reemerge, she readily admitted she drank from morning to night, but had stopped taking the pills. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Parents of Jon Venables and Robert Thompson talk about their sons, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. 'They were just your average scruff - like the rest of us.'. 'It was very dark and I shouted down, shouted his name. Grainy CCTV footage shows them walking James away from the Strand . Born 10 days apart in August 1982 in Liverpool. She said that Jon was always "loving, caring, thoughtful and considerate . Few had the patience to be friends with him, only his younger brother and a couple of lads who lived nearby. The guilty verdicts came quickly - within five hours. We feel so sorry for him because he must be going through so much torment. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. ", Children accused of a crime are usually granted anonymity, but at the end of the trial the judge allowed both to be named, "because the public interest overrode the interest of the defendants.". He took a jar of paracetamol. His mother was not so keen on the idea - they cost pounds 35 each. Neither gave evidence to the court, but were found guilty after an officer told how Venables admitted the murder, saying, "We did it. 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. On November 24, 1993, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables became the youngest persons to be convicted of murder in Britain in almost 250 years, when the pair, both eleven, was found guilty of the abduction and murder of two-year-old James Patrick Bulger. The pattern of bullying among the brothers, which had been noted by the Head mistress of the boys school, appeared to descend down the line, with the eldest Thompson brother beating the one just below him in age, and that brother beating the brother below him, in turn. Jon was slim in build and taller than Robert, just over five feet. As a result of the incident, Jon's mother decided to move him to another school. He would steal objects that he neither needed nor wanted, then chuck them away in the street. Their seats were just below the raised dock where their sons would sit for the next three weeks, listening to a prosecution which aimed to prove not only that they killed James Bulger, but that they planned to, and that when they did they knew it to be wrong. On Sundays he used to watch Thunderbirds. so they were put in a lower year. It worked. The two had an aberrant relationship with one another, in the sense that it was almost as though they had never divorced. "In order that justice can be done, no further details are being released at this stage and the proceedings are subject to reporting restrictions.". Susan Venables, mother of Jon - referred to throughout the trial as Boy B - blamed her son's 'weakness' for the murder of James Bulger, . It was high- lighted by the trial judge Mr Justice Morland who said they must take moral responsibility for the terrible actions of the young killers. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. It seems likely that he was bullied. The prosecution, led by Richard Henriques QC, made its case quite simply really, using the journey they took James on to tell the story. Another time they were saucy and asked a sales girl if she stocked 'fishy nickers'. ", Her husband, Neil, said: "If you had a league table of children, you would put him at the bottom of the list for anything like this.". The phone-in programme, as ever, was a place to turn to try to find reasons - evil, poverty, neglect, possessed anything to explain what felt inexplicable. When you have got people in the area threatening to blow your kneecaps off every moment of the daythats just the way they are. 'I even went up to the railway line because I knew the other boy had a den up there and was on the railway nearly all the time.'. 'I can't read hard words,' he said. 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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. Resentful of her husbands lack of involvement with the children, Susan conceded that the couple fought constantly, especially throughout 1983, but maintained that Neil had never been aggressive towards her, nor had she hit him. The reaction prompted James' mum Denise Fergus to let supporters know she had nothing to do with the programme. Jon's parents, who sat in court for most of the trial, said they grieved for the Bulgers. Mrs Venables has also said that she felt heartbreak for James and his parents and shame for her son. 'In my opinion he was victimised. Many of us had dined together most nights throughout the trial, mulling it all over but distracting ourselves, too. After they became friends he initiated Jon into the delights of climbing into people's back gardens and the consequent thrill of being chased out by the owners. Less thanfive hours laterthe verdicts were in. A day later, when James still hadnt been found, it was clear from CCTV footage that he had been taken by children. . Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. 'I couldn't be arsed talking about them,' said one. We will never be able to do the fun things any more . I made notes of the pathologists evidence. gk. "Just TV programmes and little things remind me of the good times we had together . Nature. Susan Venables Facebook: susan.venables.9 Lives in Mellor, Blackburn With Darwen, . I don't think they understood he was hyperactive. Two boys who forged a friendship out of breaking the rules. His father, Neil, an unemployed panel-beater, was separated from his mother but they lived only a mile apart, saw each other every other day, and took equal care of the children. MOST of the boys were bright. They were sent home to their mother at one point, but after attempting suicide with overdoses, were placed back into care. Ann and Bobby fought regularly in front of the children, with virtually all of the fights leading to physical violence. The sunrises through the sea mist over the sculpture The Couple by Sean Henry at Newbiggin-by-the-Sea on the Northumberland coast. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. "My heart really goes out to them. She was living in secrecy but always felt that she was walking around with a huge sign: mother of Bulger killer, above her head. The James Bulger murder View gallery Venables was born on August 12, 1982. . Jon breaks into hysteria whenever the subject is mentioned. Venables, who was released on licence in 2001 after serving eight years for the murder of two-year-old James, was returned to prison last November after he was caught with the pictures. Robert Thompson was born to Robert Sr. and Ann Thompson on the 23rd day of August 1982, in Liverpool, England. I said no. Jon, who had the most trouble sleeping, appeared fearful of Susan, and was terrified, above all, of her condemnation. In some families this was the third generation to be unemployed. They deal with drugs, they deal with everything. "The age of criminal responsibility in this country is 10 that's too low. James mother Denise Fergus has been saying this for a long time, but still we hoped that the boy who savaged a tiny child to death could become a man safe to be in our midst. From a distance Robert looked a sweet child. He has never really been what you would call a sagger off school (a truant). Between January and the day of the murder Robert had absconded 37 half days out of a possible 60 . Constantly restless, his workbooks were empty, and he would often be denied recess because he was so far behind. Click here to find personal data about Susan Venables including phone numbers, addresses, directorships, electoral roll information, related property prices and other useful information. According to the teacher, Jon would rock back and forth in his desk, making strange noises (this behavior was later speculated to be Jons jealous attempt to emulate his elder brother, in order to receive the same special attention), bang his head on the desk or walls repeatedly, glue bits of paper all over his face, wedge himself in between desks, throw himself on the ground, throw chairs across the corridor, rip projects off the classroom walls, cut holes in his socks, and intentionally cut himself with scissors. 'If, in their own lives, they have had it extremely tough and been bullied and neglected and abused then they end up rapidly having to prove themselves to be extremely tough and invulnerable - a bit like Arnold Shwarzenegger in The Terminator. His mother, Anne Marie Thompson, who is 39, got the house from the local housing trust after her husband, Robert, ran off with a woman from Stockport five years ago. School had no hold on him - there was no corporal punishment or other form of penalty that touched him. The teacher had a different perspective, saying that Susan was in fact aware of the issue, and had expressed deep concern. While Robert was described as a wily child, known to tell lies, most of the St. Marys school staff agreed that the boy posed little trouble, and, if and when he attended, was generally well-mannered during class. Susan Venable - we found 141 people search records: 55 CVs and social profiles with photos, 50 addresses & phone numbers, 1 real estate objects, 6 Susan Venable's cars, 2 companies. The Venables decided to place her with their eldest son, in a school for children with special needs. The Swedes, French, Germans, Canadian and Americans had all come to gaze at Liverpool's child killers. Read about our approach to external linking. si fs. gl. A heartstopping moment came when the playing of the tapes in court was paused. I used to get them for myself at night time. Mr Venables said it had never crossed their minds that the video pictures from the security cameras in the shopping centre from which James went missing showed their own son. 'Just mad. 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. One day they stayed out until 10.30pm and Jon received a severe reprimand from his mother. In the last few years she stopped drinking in the Top House and tried to keep things together. INSIDE the court sat the two boys, dwarfed by the weight and majesty of the place. Both of them struggled at school and had been lumped into the year below their age. The Crown Prosecution Service released a statement in January confirming Venables had been charged. A newspaper man from Detroit said it was because 'Liverpool is the Beatles and love, love, love. Neil explained to him that the school they attended was special, and that Jon wouldnt be accepted. We are proud to endorse the COP27 Leather Manifesto. DAVID James Smith, who visited Mrs Thompson at one of her secret homes, reveals that it was a sad existence. "He fell over," was the response. As a new documentary is set to air on ITV, the haunting words of Jon Venables' parents have resurfaced. He would often have to stay in class at break times to catch up. Robert is not believed to have reoffended - Venables has been convicted twice since being set free. I came back and then (Mrs Venables) went out. March 10, 2021 - 20:29 GMT Eve Crosbie. I would get him something like a cartoon.". I just heard an almighty screech. He frequented local cinemas and regularly hired videos for the night. Jon continued to attend Broad Square, where children of the neighborhood openly mocked and poked fun at his siblings, calling them backward. Jon was also an easy target due to a squint in his eye. Just four years earlier, we had all covered the Hillsborough disaster and come together in grief. Jobs were few and far between. What a horror it all was. They were intent on killing. Haunting CCTV footage shows the pair leading the tiny, trusting boy . When shop keepers asked what they were doing they would pretend they were waiting for their mum. She got her drinking under control and began giving her murderer son the attention he. Susan was known as the town " whore". . The petition, that now has 14,682 signatures, reads: "We want a Public Inquiry into the James Bulger murder case. He was also given 'respite care' - six weekly weekend breaks to relieve the family of the burden of looking after him. Ann, desperate to escape the physical and emotional torment of living with her drunken father, was married to Robert, Sr. in December 1971, on the day of her eighteenth birthday. But he liked collecting trolls, little doll-like creatures with ugly faces and spiky fluorescent hair. ', They sagged off in the afternoon and walked around the shops in County Road, near Walton. Meanwhile, Thompson has not re-offended since his release, and is believed to be in a long-term relationship with a man who knows who he really is. Only two people can answer the question, and even their ability is doubtful. 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. But his comment sparked anger from viewers. The most startling moment of the trial came when, in lieu of giving evidence in person, the boys' taped interviews with police - recorded just after their arrest - were played in court. rk ye. Robert passed this down the line bullying his eight-year-old brother into playing truant. It should certainly be moved up to 12; in some European countries it is 14," she said. sp. [3] [4] Thompson and Venables led Bulger away . Instead, she was involved in an ITV documentary with Sir Trevor McDonald that will air on Thursday. The Liverpool Echo boasted that their man had one of 'just 34 seats' allocated to the international press. Look at mine. I know how I feel as a mother. Mrs Venables said: "He mentions James, not all the time. He was jailed for two years before being granted parole again in July 2013.. Directly in front of the bench was the raised dock in which Thompson, Venables, and two social workers would sit for the next four weeks. Jon was also mad on computers. Denise, James Bugler's mother, went with her brother's girlfriend Nicola to the Bootle Strand Shopping Centre and took James with her. They pair was ordered to be detained at her majesty's pleasure - meaning indefinitely - but in 2001, a six-month review by the parole board found they were no longer a threat to public safety and they were released on life licence after serving just eight years. He wanted a Rovers strip for his birthday present. Were they to blame? Grey seal pups on the beach at Horsey in Norfolk, as the pupping season draws to a close at one the UK's most important sites for the mammals. It emerged that the Venables family had suffered the same fate in another area. He was a loyal fan, though he did not go often to Goodison Park. In March 2010, Venables was recalled to prison for downloading and distributing more than 100 images of child abuse. Get out and get into Dyson Hall children's centre, the only residential care school in the country just outside Liverpool. Last November he was arrested and recalled to jail on suspicion of possession of images of child sex abuse. In the mean time, Susan, finding her new living conditions insufferable, soon decided to move back in with Neil until she could find another place of her own. At night, for instance, the two boys would lie in bed together and suck each others thumbs. She was a woman as large in personality and physique as the burdens she carried. View the profiles of people named Susan Venables. Robert said 'If you tell anybody I'll get my big brother to batter you up'. A parole board ruled that Thompson and Venables were no longer a threat. For a start, there were only three children, of whom Jon was the middle. Why Alex Murdaugh was spared the death penalty, Why Trudeau is facing calls for a public inquiry, The shocking legacy of the Dutch 'Hunger Winter', Why half of India's urban women stay at home. As a grim portrait of abuse, drunkenness and neglect emerged, the hatred and loathing for Robert Thompson and Jon Venables was also turned on their parents. The family was put up in a hostel temporarily and later relocated by the social services. Just as Venables's confession convicted him, a shoe print belonging to Robert Thompson, found on James cheekbone, confirmed his guilt, too. Their kids have got everything, she added, bitterly. They looked, moved, fidgeted, scratched, cried - even sucked their thumbs - just like any 11-year-olds. Keep them apart or he'll get into trouble, they said. And now The Bulger Killers: Was Justice Done? . By then, Robert and Jon had abducted James Bulger from the Strand and attempted to drown him in the nearby canal. and things like that is that he was frightened. Channel 5 is set to air a new two-part documentary that tells the definitive story of . Online Marketing For Your Business Lawyers for the pair argued that the adult court venue and publicity made it impossible for the schoolboys to be given a fair trial. Bird Pictures.
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