This would have made little Robert the target of the fourth Thompson brother, who, in less than a years time, had confessed to arson, tried to stab his elder brother in a fit of rage, and had allegedly committed a lewd act against two small children (this incident was overlooked due to lack of evidence; however, because it was always considered a likely possibility that little Robert had been the victim of sexual abuse himself, and since Robert reportedly confirmed this years later, this occurrence involving his elder brother might be thought particularly revealing). Jon Venables is demonstrably no such thing. Jon, who had the most trouble sleeping, appeared fearful of Susan, and was terrified, above all, of her condemnation. So, when he first began his association with classmate Jon Venables, in September 1992, Robert was happy to have finally befriended a boy like Jon, who could almost always be persuaded to follow in his lead. Everton was his team. One of the new works by Banksy, appears to show a 1950s housewife, wearing a classic blue pinny and yellow washing up gloves, with a swollen eye and a missing tooth seemingly shoving her male partner into a chest freezer, the piece is set on a white wall backdrop in Kent. On the walls hung oil paintings of local judges and magistrates, their surfaces crinkled with age. They fled the city, never to return. Susan Venabless bent body shrank deeper into itself. portrayed him as the leader and evil one, says James Smith. I wasnt on duty that day, so the very beginnings of the story washed over me. 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. Two boys who forged a friendship out of breaking the rules. "It was very dark and I shouted down, shouted his name. Naturaleza. . Neil Venables regarded himself as the Barry Norman of Merseyside - a film buff with a penchant for horror. 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. How could two small boys savage and leave a toddler for dead? Her family were dignified throughout, but on that day one of theBulgerfamily supporters allowed themselvesa loud 'YES' as the verdicts came in. 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. From the moment Robert Thompson and Jon Venables were convicted of the murder of James Bulger, their, families have been condemned to lives spent looking over their shoulders. 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. Venables, who was said to have been subjected to regular beatings by his mother Susan, titled the drawing 'My Dads house'. . . Susan Venables is on Facebook. Most of the fun revolved around shoplifting - sweets, trolls, pepperami, tins of modelling paint, drinks, candles; anything, really. His father, thin and balding, had a much gentler edge. What doing well means is anybodys guess. ", Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Heck, we don't even have murderers that young in New York.'. IN their interviews with the two boys, psychiatrists could find no clues to why the boys acted so violently. It was on his way back to the interview room when Venables finally admitted it: "We did it. The final scene takes place among the tracks of a fun-fair ghost train where the doll, which resembles an infant with spiky hair has his face slashed before he is cut to pieces by a ventilator fan. The atmosphere in the courtroom was oppressive as the tension of a month was about to break. Why would I want to kill him? he said, referring to the slain toddler. Venables parents were divorced but still lived within a stones throw of one another and were both involved in their sons upbringing. They would hang around the video shop in Walton Village where the shop girl was pleased to have their company. ", 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.". 'It was very dark and I shouted down, shouted his name. Ann Thompson and Susan and Neil Venables didn't need to imagine. The attitude when you live where we live is that you have to be tough or else you dont survive, she said. "You look at him and you say to yourself, 'How could you be involved in anything like this?'" For me, though, it is Susan and Neil Venables who stay most in my memory of that day. When they finally came to a disused railway track near the police station, the murderous duo tortured James, throwing stones and bricks at the baby, and kicking and stamping on him before finally dropping a heavy iron bar on to the defenceless tot. Apart from Jon's incident with the ruler, there had been no record of previous violence. His body was found two days later on a railway line. Ultimately, wanting to escape the havoc, most of the boys opted to leave home, and some were placed into voluntary care at Dysons Hall, a childrens home just outside of Liverpool. See that cell. One of Anns sons claimed that Ann, too, had beaten them with sticks, and had struck one of the boys with a cane. 'It's always our family that gets the blame,' Robert said to police after he was arrested for James's murder. Susan Venables, mother of Jon - referred to throughout the trial as Boy B - blamed her son's 'weakness' for the murder of James Bulger, and said he was going through torment. Mrs Venables said: 'I think it was because the class group was too big for them to go in . Their. Southern. Born on August 13th, 1982, Jon was the middle child of Neil and Susan Venables. Depressed, Ann began drinking heavily and was taking narcotics which caused her to hallucinate. He would go to bed. And there were rewards for breaking rules. Susan opted to remove him from the school then, and some months later, she reenrolled him in St. Marys in Walton. 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. He stayed away from school so often the local police called him a professional truant. He denied having had any films that were not mainstream, or that were pornographic, in the house. "Just to let you know that even though footage was used of me on the CH4 programme, I had no part in it," she tweeted. The taunts upset Jons already volatile temper, and he began coming home in increasingly low spirits and crying. Or they would mess around in shops, playing on computer games if Robert had his way, sliding on the polished floors if Jon had his. Susan Venables has blamed "weakness" for her son's role in the killing of James Bulger, claiming that he "got involved with the wrong person". 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. 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. Susan Venables, mother of Jon - referred to throughout the trial as Boy B - blamed her son's 'weakness' for the murder of James Bulger, . release. 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. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Following the arrest of their sons it was reported that the mothers of the boys had been attacked and vilified in. He would throw things at other children, cut himself deliberately with scissors and stick paper all over his face. Not their punishmentand exclusion from society for the rest of their childhood. The hardliners in the police have a simpler explanation. The Crown Prosecution Service released a statement in January confirming Venables had been charged. "He tends to be a bit hyperactive so his concentration did go a bit, but apart from that he is quite bright, no worries.". Other parents came in to complain about attention seeking. It emerged that the Venables family had suffered the same fate in another area. 'I couldn't be arsed talking about them,' said one. At his first primary school the headmistress referred him to a psychologist, noting how he used to bang his head against the classroom wall to gain attention. It is here, of course, that Jon met and made friends with fellow eccentric, Robert Thompson. The Radio Merseyside newsroom, where I was working at the time, was full and everyone was on this story one way or another. S. Susan venables. He is broken- hearted over it. Constantly fighting and battering one another, and possibly, too, being hit by their emotionally drained mother, the Thompson brothers often looked scruffy, and, on more than one occasion, were seen bearing bruises and bite marks. CCTV images revealed how James had been lured away by Thompson and Venables, who was also aged 10. 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. Not really?. Birds. He said he was frightened of Robert's older brother. They played truant, they pinched sweets, they terrorised old ladies. Verdict day came. The street in which Robert lived was not untypical: a row of terraced bay windowed houses that stretched from the railway line back towards the city. He has been educated. 'Just mad. Anne Thompson could hold her drink and no one ever saw her staggering home. They and Ann Thompson, who has six other. He took a jar of paracetamol. At Preston Crown Court Thompsons mother Ann and Venables parents Neil and Sue sat side by side. The beginnings of the friendship were inauspicious enough. 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. She visited regularly and they would hold family anniversaries in the, place where he was held. Just seeing the size of them that first time, the childish figures they naturally were, caught my breath. We feel so sorry for him because he must be going through so much torment. Will you tell his Mum Im sorry?. the street. 'I don't know,' he replied. Money was always a struggle, and she got through the first years drinking in Higson's Top House off St Mary's Lane. To widespread dismay and condemnation from the Bulger family, the killers were given new identities, courtesy of the taxpayer. Both had a need to attract attention, which they achieved through a host of petty rebellions. Drivers have been warned to leave extra time for their Monday morning commute due to icy roads during rush hour, following a weekend of wintry weather. He didn't want to hurt James. I do believe that she feels guilty deep down for her own part in what happened., Despite the risks of discovery, the relationship is said to have contin- ued to thrive following Thompsons. One woman asked how James had injured his forehead. 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. ANN THOMPSON, the mother of Robert Thompson, child A, says her son is a thief, a liar, is devious and plays truant. 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. 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. Will you tell his mum I'm sorry?". In some families this was the third generation to be unemployed. Since his 14-year-old brother, Phillip , had already tried to stab him, the social services agreed. The boys at Dyson Hall were the object of some envy among their mates because they were given tracksuits and trainers upon arrival and went on trips to Alton Towers. I have lost my son as well. I feel so sorry for them. He is one of those children that if you told him to put his hand in the fire, he would. The family was already exhaustingly overextended, and Robert, being the fifth edition, was quick to pick up on the coping mechanisms needed to survive in a life of unremitting chaos and enmity. 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. 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. I have cried for JamesBulgermany times, so God only knows the tears his parents and family have shed. Mr Venables said: "He wouldn't watch horror. He once came to me crying saying the other boys were picking on him, trying to steal his bike.'. "I think about little James and what he must have gone through, how they must feel. 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. Just having a bit of shade!! The four who drove Suzanne to Romiley - Jean Powell (now Jean Gillespie), Bernadette McNeilly, Glyn Powell, and Anthony Dudson - were all found guilty of murder. It has already been reported that Jon Venables real identity has been exposed in prison, where he is said to be receiving 24-hour protection. I'm warning yer,' she would say. Ironically, Jon was the child who caused his parents least anxiety. But Robert was stuck in Walton with his older brothers and the baby. Walton Village Financial Services would lend you pounds 300 for Christmas and demand a total of pounds 460 in repayment. Once the jury retired, so did the journalists - but we didnt go far. however, as the incident in the playground shows, the ever-present threat of discovery cast a constant shadow over anyone related to the two murderers. I would get him something like a cartoon.". She remained very frightened and felt that she and her son were the most hated people in the country. But however hollow a gesture it might have seemed, those who are in touch with the Thompson and Venables families insist that they have sought to make some sort of amends with their sons after the horrific events of 17 years ago that will rightly stay with them for the rest of their lives. . So he came home. Egypt. After spending just eight years in custody, Britain's youngest killers were released and given lifetime anonymity in the UK. But his progress took a nose dive in September 1991 when he was transferred into another class. Read about our approach to external linking. Forlorn hope, though. Robert had eaten too many and felt sick. What a horror it all was. Three days later his body was found, and three days after that a tip-off came from a shopkeeper who had seen two boys playing truant on the day James went missing and gave police two names - Jon Venables and Robert Thompson. Sandra Gotheridge. . Although not officially entered into a witness protection programme they were given help by the authorities in finding new homes and taking on new identities. Nine months later, I was one of 30 or so journalists inside Preston Crown Court when the trial began. Venables received a 40-month prison sentence after appearing via video link at the Old Bailey. His mother cared about him. Good people asked the boys if they were lost or urged them to take "their baby brother" home as he cried for his mummy. fun to be with" and always had plenty of friends. Eventually, Bobby walked out on his family, but not before beating his wife one final time. "Contrary to what the papers will tell you, he is not a little urchin boy. Words with the drawing, full of spelling mistakes and grammatical. . Lawyers for the pair argued that the adult court venue and publicity made it impossible for the schoolboys to be given a fair trial. His parents, Susan and Neil, accompanied him during the interview process. He had that odd combination of obsession with and disdain for possessions that is characteristic of children who have never enjoyed any of their own. Neither gave evidence to the court, but were found guilty after an officer told how Venables admitted the murder, saying, "We did it. 'I couldn't hear anything,' she said. They were sent home to their mother at one point, but after attempting suicide with overdoses, were placed back into care. Bird Pictures. Grey Heron. We have found 88 people in the UK with the name Susan Venables. The breaking point came when Jon was suspended from Broad Square after attempting to choke a classmate with a twelve-inch wooden ruler. They said their son met Robert Thompson in September 1991, when Jon was transferred from another school. I came back and then (Mrs Venables) went out. '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. 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. his killers were just 10 years old and attention focused on their upbringing and dysfunctional home life. David James Smith, who wrote a book about the Bulger case, The Sleep Of Reason, and stayed in touch with Ann Thompson afterwards. 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 response couldn't have been more different as he sank into the oversized blazer he was wearing. They occasionally exchanged furtive glances. 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. They did. I just burst into tears because you just knew what that meanther heart was broken. Few had the patience to be friends with him, only his younger brother and a couple of lads who lived nearby. Jon Venables arrived at Walton St. Marys Church of England School a disrupted and attention-seeking boy, whose behavior was so bizarre at times that one of his teachers considered him to be emotionally unstable. his mother was told that it was important that she stayed in his life and stood by him. Ann was a heavy drinker, separated from her husband, also called Robert, who had deserted the family several years earlier and did not attend court. While both boys may have felt helpless and inferior in their own settings, together they were fearless, a portrait of machismo, each playing on the others strong points. Mr Venables said that the two boys had played truant together four times before, adding that he caught them twice. . "BULL**** about 'two frightened kids whod made a terrible mistake' The tapes said they kept stoning him, even when he kept getting up. NEIL Venables was warned by friends not to let his son play with the other boy. football, snooker, things like that. "I don't think we went wrong as parents at all. Wiping away tears, he went on: 'I feel for that family. 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. Thompson admitted nothing. 2023 BBC. Englands Ollie Chessum dives in to score his sides second try during the Guinness Six Nations match at Twickenham Stadium, London, Sam Smith arrives for the Brit Awards ceremony, A robin redbreast takes flight in Dublins botanic gardens. After a while the boys became used to it. The two had an aberrant relationship with one another, in the sense that it was almost as though they had never divorced. Shame? The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. Robert is not believed to have reoffended - Venables has been convicted twice since being set free. His mother called him hyperactive since, even more than his friend, he was scarcely able to sit still. A video still of James Bulger, aged 2 years old, being led away in the 'New Strand' shopping centre. Ian was clever enough to know that to survive he had to get out. Jon's parents, who sat in court for most of the trial, said they grieved for the Bulgers. The case of James, a two-year-old who was snatched from a shopping centre in Bootle, Liverpool, in 1993, before being tortured and left to die, shocked the nation. I couldnt make any sense of it, Robert later recalled, desolately, when asked about his fathers unexpected departure. Join Facebook to connect with Susan Venables and others you may know. The best photos of birds and other wildlife from around the world. Mrs Venables described how she searched for Jon. Robert's feelings towards his half-brother also appear to have been ambivalent - he told police he would not have murdered James Bulger because 'if I wanted to kill a baby, I'd kill my own, wouldn't I?'. - a grey heron in Asawn, Southern Egypt. That was in September 1991, 17 months before they killed James Bulger. Denise Bulger believes her son's murderers - men now - should be in prison for ever. Sitting in the new class was a chubby boy with a cherub's face - Robert Thompson. The petition, that now has 14,682 signatures, reads: "We want a Public Inquiry into the James Bulger murder case. Sometimes Robert would sag off on his own, but it was more fun with a friend. A heartstopping moment came when the playing of the tapes in court was paused. See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. 'It was good. 'When the fisticuffs ended, they made friends.' The boys, by now lacking any sense of guidance within the home, took to the streets, robbing, truanting, and some of them experimenting with drugs. But viewers were shocked when experts "defended" the 10-year-old murderers saying they made "an awful mistake". It is just heartbreaking.". Denise was in court that day. A newspaper man from Detroit said it was because 'Liverpool is the Beatles and love, love, love. 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 started with Liverpool, but by the time of the murder he had switched to Blackburn Rovers. Thompson & Venebales. The only sign he was discomforted by hearing it was a near constant pulling of his tongue in his hands. Their kids have got everything. "He is easily led. Behind them eyes bore into them - from everyone on all sides, journalists, their parents, members of the public, and of course, theBulgerfamily. We are proud to endorse the COP27 Leather Manifesto. 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, where they both lived, is, in the jargon of planning, an inner-city urban priority area; neither the best nor the worst the city has to offer. kl. But they shouldn't have been tried in an adult court because they were still children. In the first press conference she gave the day after her son was taken, this 25-year-old woman struck me as a girl, a desperate, grief stricken girl whose tired swollen eyes told their own story. He was fearful, he was weak and he was provoked. Jon had to be pulled off the boy, who had gone red in the face, by a teacher who described the incident as the worst case of school violence she had witnessed. We still dont know why. I'm bringing up on my own but if I went round and screwed every warehouse my children would have everything too.'. Toddler James Bulger disappeared on February 12 1993. 'I think it has something to do with a hatred of vulnerability and babyness in themselves which they projected on to this toddler.'. It worked. qu fy. '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. But that is the common lot of thousands of 10-year-olds who have not turned into murderers. We will never be able to do the fun things any more . Both had parents who had separated. When a police officer asked him why he didn't rescue James bleeding on the railway lines he replied: ' 'Cos blood stains, doesn't it, and then me mother would have to pay more money. Venables was a different creature. He was jailed for two years before being granted parole again in July 2013.. ql zo. Get the biggest TV headlines, recaps and insider knowledge straight to your inbox. Jon breaks into hysteria whenever the subject is mentioned. On the 20 year anniversary of the murder of James Bulger, BBC Radio 5 Live's Shelagh Fogarty recalls the trial of his young killers. The most agonising thing about the whole case was that so many people had stopped them and questioned them. They were drawn to one another quickly. He was fearful, he was weak and he was provoked," she said. 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. "It is hard to take in really. But apart from his brother, Robert struggled to build friendships. Whatever problems she had in her own life, she was always there. Not surprisingly, Ann had also attempted suicide in the same manner, some months before. There, he is terrorising a girl. . Some of the red brick houses were well-kept, others had torn net curtains and grubby windows. When social workers came round, they did so to see his sister and his brother, who had learning difficulties and was receiving special education. The statement said: "The man formerly known as Jon Venables has been charged with offences relating to indecent images of children and will appear in the Crown Court. The distress of one woman who had come agonisingly close to taking James by the hand herself to a police station, only to be hoodwinked by Thompson and Venables that they were doing just that.
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