Neither gave evidence to the court, but were found guilty after an officer told how Venables admitted the murder, saying, "We did it. He was fearful, he was weak and he was provoked," she said. Naturaleza. Absence of a male role model is increasingly being explored - by both left and right - as one of the main reasons why today's boys and young men are going wrong; why 90 per cent of indictable offences are committed by men. Everton was his team. Just having a bit of shade!! Some neighbours claim they saw the boy snaring birds into traps in the back yard of his home, while one local youth claimed he saw the boy pull the heads off live baby pigeons. Will you tell his mum I'm sorry?". Nine months later, I was one of 30 or so journalists inside Preston Crown Court when the trial began. They played a double act towards the children: his mother, Susan, aged 36, a sharp woman with a hawkish look, was the hard one. In the autumn term of 1992, Robert played truant for 49 half days and Jon for 40. It should certainly be moved up to 12; in some European countries it is 14," she said. A parole board ruled that Thompson and Venables were no longer a threat. his mother was told that it was important that she stayed in his life and stood by him. In March 2010, Venables was recalled to prison for downloading and distributing more than 100 images of child abuse. The base of the dock floor at Preston Crown Court had to be raised 18 inches so each boy could see over it. Scores more watched proceedings from a neighbouring office block which, for the duration of the trial, came under court jurisdiction. Counsel for the prosecution, Richard Henriques QC, made it clear all three elements needed to be proved for a murder conviction. Denise Bulger believes her son's murderers - men now - should be in prison for ever. 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. Many of us had dined together most nights throughout the trial, mulling it all over but distracting ourselves, too. He wore his dark hair short, almost a crew cut, which accentuated his ample forehead and blunt nose. The experience gave Jon renewed confidence, and the second time they sagged off together he suggested it. He always had plenty of friends. How can people defend their actions .#TheBulgerKillers.". Her family were dignified throughout, but on that day one of theBulgerfamily supporters allowed themselvesa loud 'YES' as the verdicts came in. He stayed away from school so often the local police called him a professional truant. qu fy. football, snooker, things like that. As their sweet voices rang around the courtroom, Venables hid his face in his oversized blazer and cried. The hardliners in the police have a simpler explanation. rk ye. She said an educational psychologist had diagnosed hyperactivity in her son, who was bullied at his previous school. Instead, she was involved in an ITV documentary with Sir Trevor McDonald that will air on Thursday. "It is hard to take in really. Some people thought they were as old as 12 or 13, but when they met they were both only 10 years old. Shame? This time, curiosity took the upper hand: 'I wanted to see what it was like,' he said. They would hang around the video shop in Walton Village where the shop girl was pleased to have their company. . Most people would regard such sentiments as having come rather late in the day and certainly too late to save poor James. Jon, who had the most trouble sleeping, appeared fearful of Susan, and was terrified, above all, of her condemnation. UK news in pictures 15 February 2023. 'I couldn't be arsed talking about them,' said one. Lawyers for the pair argued that the adult court venue and publicity made it impossible for the schoolboys to be given a fair trial. has prompted a public outcry for an investigation into issues surrounding the case. . The Royal Mint of a 50p coin featuring Professor Albus Dumbledore as part of a Harry Potter-themed collection. Yes, these things are important, but trust. 'You'd better tell the truth. 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 thought he was all right,' said Boy B, as he was known in court - Jon Venables. Put bluntly, Jon Venables still gets a kick out of seeing small children suffer. '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.'. Tweet. For his parents, the fact they were children was actually a cause for hope at that point. It is just heartbreaking.". fun to be with" and always had plenty of friends. Thompson admitted nothing. He was fearful of the other boy. "Youngsters are usually tried in a youth court, [Thompson and Venables] were tried in an adult court. Wiping away tears, he went on: 'I feel for that family. Not their punishmentand exclusion from society for the rest of their childhood. What they did was exceptionally unpleasant and the fact that a little boy ended up dead is not something the nation can easily forget. CCTV images revealed how James had been lured away by Thompson and Venables, who was also aged 10. He denied having had any films that were not mainstream, or that were pornographic, in the house. I know how I feel as a mother. The couple fought frequently as to their eldest sons troubles, which they later learned included mild learning difficulties, and Susan, at times becoming so exasperated by the situation, began to resent her sons presence. Hyperactive children can't sit still all day,' Mrs Venables said. 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. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (second left) and Scottish Secretary Alister Jack (second right) during a visit to the Port of Cromarty Firth, Invergordon, during a two day visit to Scotland to highlight the benefits of remaining in the United Kingdom as he seeks to counter Nicola Sturgeon's push for independence, King Charles reacts as he visits the Aboyne and Mid Deeside Community Shed in Scotland, There are only a handful of images of Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in, Please refresh your browser to be logged in, 'Jon was weak and was provoked': Parents of Jamie Bulger killers speak, Extra 20% off selected fashion and sportswear at Very, Up to 20% off & extra perks with Booking.com Genius Membership, $6 off a $50+ order with this AliExpress discount code, 10% off selected orders over 100 - eBay discount code, Compare broadband packages side by side to find the best deal for you, Compare cheap broadband deals from providers with fastest speed in your area, All you need to know about fibre broadband, Best Apple iPhone Deals in the UK March 2023, Compare iPhone contract deals and get the best offer this March, Compare the best mobile phone deals from the top networks and brands. gk. ROBERT had a reputation in the neighbourhood for being a troublemaker. View the profiles of people named Susan Venables. 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. 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. 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. Join Facebook to connect with Susan Venables and others you may know. Maybe it was that incident that put the idea into Jon or Robbie's head to 'get a little boy lost'. Denise was in court that day. . Unemployment levels were more than twice the national average in Walton. - a grey heron in Asawn, Southern Egypt. They probably weren't out to kill someone, but they were probably out to ruin someone else's happiness. Hope. Kids fantasise about such things. But he is not a murderer. 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. In the years between Venabless first return to prison and this latest conviction he was deemed to be living successfully in the community, when in fact he was working out ways to dodge his internet ban and hiding a computer in his headboard in order to download abusive images of children, including what the judge described this week as serious crimes inflicted on male toddlers. Pictures; Inside the Guardian; Guardian Weekly . The details of Jamess death were sickening. His mind was too restless to take up other hobbies for long. Susan and the children moved in with her mother for a short time, and then settled in a small cluster of derelict apartments in Old Swan, where Jon attended the nearby Broad Green Preschool. 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. 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. He started with Liverpool, but by the time of the murder he had switched to Blackburn Rovers. 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. Eventually, Bobby walked out on his family, but not before beating his wife one final time. Their faces affected me deeply. But viewers were shocked when experts "defended" the 10-year-old murderers saying they made "an awful mistake". James Bulger would now be weeks away from his 23rd birthday. 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. He didn't want to hurt James. 'I was the softie,' Neil Venables said. . The two bumped into each other - literally - in the school playground in the middle of a fight. 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. "I think about little James and what he must have gone through, how they must feel. 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. ANN THOMPSON, the mother of Robert Thompson, child A, says her son is a thief, a liar, is devious and plays truant. The end of the court case was not the end of course. See that cell. Get out and get into Dyson Hall children's centre, the only residential care school in the country just outside Liverpool. Mrs Venables said: 'I think it was because the class group was too big for them to go in . The Venables decided to place her with their eldest son, in a school for children with special needs. I just think of James and his Dad and about all that fun with his little boy, like I had with Jon.". It emerged that the Venables family had suffered the same fate in another area. Jon's parents, who sat in court for most of the trial, said they grieved for the Bulgers. 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. 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. I feel so sorry for them. 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. Jon lived in terror of losing his mother's love, yet he was also terrified of her. Teachers hold placards as they shout slogans while taking part in a protest organised in Manchester as part of a national strike day. By now, Robert had also stepped comfortably into the role of the aggressor, and, following in the footsteps of his elder brothers, began tormenting his eight-year-old brother on a daily basis. As a new documentary is set to air on ITV, the haunting words of Jon Venables' parents have resurfaced. His body was found two days later on a railway line. 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?'. He's a good reader if he's interested in it. his killers were just 10 years old and attention focused on their upbringing and dysfunctional home life. Some of the red brick houses were well-kept, others had torn net curtains and grubby windows. Mr Venables said: "He wouldn't watch horror. 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 school Jon was considered bright enough, though he had trouble keeping up with lessons. Neil Venables regarded himself as the Barry Norman of Merseyside - a film buff with a penchant for horror. But his comment sparked anger from viewers. Look at mine. They passed 36 people, with one recalling how they urged the boys to take their 'little brother' home because he was 'crying for his mummy'. He didn't want to hurt James. 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. Twenty-five years on, Im still prone to hot tears at the memory of it all and I do question the trial. Left to his own devices Jon liked to spend his playtime in fairly sedentary ways. It seems likely that he was bullied. I don't think so. How could two small boys savage and leave a toddler for dead? Yet, even while Susan admitted to being under huge emotional strain on a daily basis, the couple later denied that her constant hysterics would have encroached on Jon in any way, considering he was still in infancy at the time. "One mystery surrounding the murder of James Bulger case is why the 'experts' insisted that Jon Venables was rehabilitated. The attitude when you live where we live is that you have to be tough or else you dont survive, she said. 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. On many occasions, Susan was observed physically and verbally assaulting Jon. Susan was known as the town " whore". 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. Channel 5 is set to air a new two-part documentary that tells the definitive story of . Meanwhile, A petition demanding a public inquiry into James Bulger's murder case has got nearly 15,000 signatures in one day. At Radio City in Liverpool the calls were coming through from Australia, New Zealand and Canada. A day later, when James still hadnt been found, it was clear from CCTV footage that he had been taken by children. Not for long though. Gillespie, McNeilly, and Powell were sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 25 years. We will never be able to do the fun things any more . wo. Teachers later reported that whereas the boys were manageable when separated, together their behavior worsened dramatically. That's the thing that upsets me because obviously, where I was standing poor little James must have been not far . Then, one Friday in February, they discovered a new rule to break: they murdered a two-year-old. "What he's done is wrong so he needs to be punished. Robert was number five of seven. Given the Venables family history, it was later suggested that Jon could arguably have been affected by an undiagnosed disorder at the time, and was clearly emotionally underdeveloped. They had to report him missing at the security office before he was found, and Jon's mother was very angry. It is time to examine all this.". 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. It is just heartbreaking.". He was fearful, he was weak and he was provoked. 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. At the trialnine months laterI would learn that Robert Thompson had been among those people. 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. Now we waited. The two had an aberrant relationship with one another, in the sense that it was almost as though they had never divorced. The prosecution, led by Richard Henriques QC, made its case quite simply really, using the journey they took James on to tell the story. He was too scared to be naughty on his own. Weeping, she said: 'I wasn't actually on the railway track because there is a fence, but I went up the side.
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