Susan Venabless bent body shrank deeper into itself. Jon Venables is demonstrably no such thing. Both parents hope was that he would make something of his life and eventually find some peace. "On the other hand, you are looking at him and you are saying 'Well, I know why - because he is so weak'. Self pity? The experience gave Jon renewed confidence, and the second time they sagged off together he suggested it. 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. Jobs were few and far between. She was a woman as large in personality and physique as the burdens she carried. It is time to examine all this.". 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. A sudden pause in the tapes and one of the officers appeared in person to describe how he asked Neil and Susan Venables to leave the room because he thought Jon wanted to tell him something. I said no. But then, the whole of Robert's family was a bit like that - shunned, outcast, the butt of local criticism, and very well known to police. ", Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Heck, we don't even have murderers that young in New York.'. Express. David James Smith, who wrote a book about the Bulger case, The Sleep Of Reason, and stayed in touch with Ann Thompson afterwards. Denise Fergus remains convinced both will always be a danger to children. "An awful mistake for 10 year olds is shoplifting not murdering a 2 year old FFS," another angry viewer tweeted. Although he appeared to have the more stable upbringing of the two boys, there was a history of family problems.
'Jon was fearful, weak, and he was provoked': Parents of boys who We have found 88 people in the UK with the name Susan Venables. In Crosbies corner shop Ian, the next oldest to Robert, was able to tot up the shopping in his mind before the cash register rang up the total. "The report of the Prison Service into an incident at Red Bank secure unit has not been published. All information on this page is true to my knowledge, and is not intended to diminish or justify either boys actions in any way whatsoever. xf fy. "I think about little James and what he must have gone through, how they must feel. When Robert was asked what his hobby was he did not say trolls but 'skipping school'. One time they sagged off with Robert's younger brother, which went disastrously wrong. Such a childish voice. The week after he walked out the family's home burned down in an accidental fire. His mother cared about him. 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. 'It's always our family that gets the blame,' Robert said to police after he was arrested for James's murder. His body was found two days later on a railway line. Ultimately, however, the couples indifferences led to separation, and they were eventually divorced in 1986. what is the bite force of a baboon.
Ann and Bobby fought regularly in front of the children, with virtually all of the fights leading to physical violence. ', They sagged off in the afternoon and walked around the shops in County Road, near Walton. Many of us had dined together most nights throughout the trial, mulling it all over but distracting ourselves, too. He was too scared to be naughty on his own. 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. Grey Heron. On many occasions, Susan was observed physically and verbally assaulting Jon. He was fearful of the other boy. Most of the fun revolved around shoplifting - sweets, trolls, pepperami, tins of modelling paint, drinks, candles; anything, really. 'I don't know,' he replied. I have lost my son as well. He was in great distress' And what about the little, innocent boy he killed??! Who knows.
Bulger killer had 'better life' after toddler murder - BBC News Venables served seven years of a life sentence for the 1993 murder before he was freed in June 2001, aged 18. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. The officer who questioned Venables took the stand and explained how he had asked Susan Venables to absent herself from the next session as her presence was now inhibiting her son from telling the truth. It was on his way back to the interview room when Venables finally admitted it: "We did it. One police officer described how Jon Venables was so small, his legs were swinging. The prosecution, led by Richard Henriques QC, made its case quite simply really, using the journey they took James on to tell the story. 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.
Parents who stand by James's killers - Express.co.uk "He fell over," was the response. King Charles III shakes hands with Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky as he welcomes at Buckingham Palace, in London, ahead of an audience during his first visit to the UK since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Half way through the 1992-1993 school year, Robert had already racked up nearly 50 unauthorized absences, and was falling significantly behind in his schoolwork. 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. What a horror it all was. 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. The Royal Mint of a 50p coin featuring Professor Albus Dumbledore as part of a Harry Potter-themed collection. "He tends to be a bit hyperactive so his concentration did go a bit, but apart from that he is quite bright, no worries.". Neil explained to him that the school they attended was special, and that Jon wouldnt be accepted. Not their punishmentand exclusion from society for the rest of their childhood. It would be a week before we heard their voices, in hours of taped police interviews, They stopped us all in our tracks. Neil Venables, 40, said he felt "just devastated, thinking of that little boy'. Neighbors later reported that it wasnt uncommon for Robert to be seen wandering the streets of Walton after midnight, since he was always running off at night. 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. The couples first child, a son, had been born with a cleft pallet, and when Jon was born, much of the Venables focus was on getting their eldest son into speech therapy. You know, we just try and help him as best we can to try to come to terms with things. 'They would say 'take your son home'. ANN THOMPSON, the mother of Robert Thompson, child A, says her son is a thief, a liar, is devious and plays truant. The haunting words of Jon Venables' parents only interview have resurfaced, twenty five years after he killed tot Jamie Bulger. The family was put up in a hostel temporarily and later relocated by the social services. Robert said 'If you tell anybody I'll get my big brother to batter you up'. Mr Venables said that the two boys had played truant together four times before, adding that he caught them twice. . Mrs Venables said: "He mentions James, not all the time. 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. 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.
James Bulger: Jon Venables' identity leaked online - news I remember watching her then on TV, her sobbing plea for information and thinking how much guts it must have taken to get up that day and face a roomful of journalists and photographers. Jon, who had the most trouble sleeping, appeared fearful of Susan, and was terrified, above all, of her condemnation. Like Ann Thompson, however, both parents of Jon Venables rallied round their son and in preparationfor his release Mr Venables accom-panied him on trips to football matches. She was living in secrecy but always felt that she was walking around with a huge sign: mother of Bulger killer, above her head. James' mother Denise believes they should have remained in jail for life and has tirelessly campaigned against their rights to anonymity. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.
'25 years after the James Bulger trial, I still shed hot tears at the 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. Robert Thompson was born to Robert Sr. and Ann Thompson on the 23rd day of August 1982, in Liverpool, England. Mrs Thompson said she was so often called to Walton Lane police station to retrieve her truanting son that they should have given her a job there. He liked to spend the weekend on the streets. Meanwhile, A petition demanding a public inquiry into James Bulger's murder case has got nearly 15,000 signatures in one day. Following the arrest of their sons it was reported that the mothers of the boys had been attacked and vilified in. 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. [3] [4] Thompson and Venables led Bulger away . Keep them apart or he'll get into trouble, they said. He appears to be a normal human, but inside the soft flesh there is indestructable metal. Just having a bit of shade!! He was jailed for two years before being granted parole again in July 2013.. CCTV images revealed how James had been lured away by Thompson and Venables, who was also aged 10. Usually, they were slung out. Jon was also mad on computers. He has never really been what you would call a sagger off school (a truant). Maybe it was that incident that put the idea into Jon or Robbie's head to 'get a little boy lost'. I know how I feel as a mother. Good people asked the boys if they were lost or urged them to take "their baby brother" home as he cried for his mummy.
James Bulger murder: Shelagh Fogarty remembers the trial Her warnings arent being heeded, but 25 years on, I think she is probably right. Since his 14-year-old brother, Phillip , had already tried to stab him, the social services agreed. I made notes of the pathologists evidence. Those who knew him well said he was a very emotional child, prone to mood swings. ", 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 best instincts led hundreds, including me, to lay flowers a few days later at the site of James horrific end. His mother called him hyperactive since, even more than his friend, he was scarcely able to sit still. They occasionally exchanged furtive glances. His mother was not so keen on the idea - they cost pounds 35 each. Teachers hold placards as they shout slogans while taking part in a protest organised in Manchester as part of a national strike day. 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. and things like that is that he was frightened. IN their interviews with the two boys, psychiatrists could find no clues to why the boys acted so violently. My young body must have been tense with the deep anxiety that permeated every inch of that courtroom. She initially enrolled the two younger children in Broad Square Elementary, but it soon became clear that her daughter was struggling to keep up with the schools curriculum. Few will ever forget the chilling footage of two 10-year-old boys holding a toddler's hand as they led him to his death. 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 was fearful, he was weak and he was provoked," she said. 'His mum was more strict. 'I can't read hard words,' he said. Forensic and pathology evidence was a huge challenge for everyone, not least the jury who were shown pictures of James' injuries. 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. When shop keepers asked what they were doing they would pretend they were waiting for their mum. At Preston Crown Court a few months later, I was one of a handful of journalists given full access to the small courtroom for the trial of Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, both now 11-years-old. Read about our approach to external linking. What upsets me is I've no way of bringing him up for the rest of his young years so he's going to lose all his childhood. Seeing at first hand the pain of a family who have lost a toddler to an act of brutal violence is almost unbearably moving. His parents, Susan and Neil, accompanied him during the interview process. The couple, who also have a 13- year-old son, who has learning difficulties, and a 9-year-old daughter, denied that Jon was bullied by his brother or that he watched violent horror films at home. Venables and Thompson abducted, tortured and killed two-year-old James in Liverpool in 1993 when they were both aged just 10. 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. Get the biggest TV headlines, recaps and insider knowledge straight to your inbox. I used to get them for myself at night time. Channel 5 is set to air a new two-part documentary that tells the definitive story of . 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. That's the thing that upsets me because obviously, where I was standing poor little James must have been not far . We will never be able to do the fun things any more . Both had a need to attract attention, which they achieved through a host of petty rebellions. On one occasion, he said, Robert ran off down the street laughing, "You can't catch me". Will you tell his mum I'm sorry?". Naturaleza. Last week the author Angela Phillips spoke of how the gentle son of the female friend of hers turned into a fascist skinhead: 'The boy his mother wanted him to become was not man enough for the world he was forced to inhabit. They probably weren't out to kill someone, but they were probably out to ruin someone else's happiness. Birds. 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. A day later she would face much worse. .
Murder of James Bulger - Wikipedia . kl. The reaction prompted James' mum Denise Fergus to let supporters know she had nothing to do with the programme. How can people defend their actions .#TheBulgerKillers.". Asked later if he could recall a time when his brother had exhibited any unusually aggressive tendencies, Roberts brother said no: Hes frightened of his own shadow. Nonetheless, in hindsight, its safe to assume that by 1993, ten-year-old Robert was swiftly approaching crisis point., Alarmingly, some of the neighboring children later claimed to have seen Robert behave cruelly towards animals, and pull the heads off of baby pigeons, although this was never unequivocally confirmed. Venables received a 40-month prison sentence after appearing via video link at the Old Bailey. qu fy. "My heart really goes out to them. 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. Liked by susan venables. But. 'They were just your average scruff - like the rest of us.'. It was their sons picked up by detectives. Hope. They deal with drugs, they deal with everything. It is just heartbreaking.". He frequented local cinemas and regularly hired videos for the night. He is broken- hearted over it. On one occasion one of Anns sons let his real name slip at school and they had to move almost at once, says. When he played truant he was scared she would come and find him. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? I got on with my job, but months later the impact of that trial had sunk in and a difficult, tearful, confusing year followed for me. Who were their parents? The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. His mother gave him pocket money to buy them. What happened to James Bulger? Thousands of members of Unison, Unite and the GMB unions are set to walk out across England and Wales on Monday as part of continued industrial action in the health service, Performers taking part in a parade involving costumes, lion dances and floats, during Chinese New Year celebrations in London, Everton fans hold up banners protesting against the board of directors during their Premier League match against West Ham at the London Stadium, A pair of swans fly over a frozen pond in Bushy Park in London, People take part in a demonstration in support of trans rights outside the UK Government Office in Edinburgh, A member of the Royal College of Nursing holds their dog whilst on the picket line outside Kings College Hospital in London, as nurses take industrial action over pay, The scene on the A39 Quantock Road in Bridgwater after a double-decker bus overturned in a crash involving a motorcycle, A man walks dogs in snowy conditions in a park in Hexham. On the days he was at school he had a knack for stirring things up. Denise Fergus is the same age as me, a fact I only registered when I met her for the first time two weeks ago. Venables was caught with 1,170 indecent photos of children on his laptop, the Old Bailey was told. We are proud to endorse the COP27 Leather Manifesto. The atmosphere in the courtroom was oppressive as the tension of a month was about to break. But Robert was stuck in Walton with his older brothers and the baby. ", 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.". Forensic and pathology evidence was a huge challenge for everyone, not least the jury who were shown pictures of James injuries. Jon's parents said they talked to their son about James after he was arrested, but had to stop. Wiping away tears, he went on: 'I feel for that family.
ROBERT THOMPSON - angelfire.com Take him home, the officer would say to her.
Haunting words of killer Jon Venables' parents resurface on 25th Walton Village Financial Services would lend you pounds 300 for Christmas and demand a total of pounds 460 in repayment. He was fearful, he was weak and he was provoked. The mayor of Preston accused them of being sick ghouls, but still they came, queuing up for tickets two hours before proceedings began. Few had the patience to be friends with him, only his younger brother and a couple of lads who lived nearby. Reporters from around the world ended up in the drab streets of Walton, cadging interviews off any 10-year-old boys hanging around in the streets. 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. gk. 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! This story has no borders,' NBC correspondent Denis Murphy said. Occasionally, when the children would be left sitting on the red wall outside the house too long, one of the neighbours would call the police to go and get her out of the Top House. She said an educational psychologist had diagnosed hyperactivity in her son, who was bullied at his previous school. TWO BOYS. Lady Penelope was his favourite character because she was rich, followed by Brains with the glasses. 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Will you tell his mum I'm sorry?". I didnt, did I? she said to Neil during their interview with Gitta Sereny. It was so stressful trying to contain him. But after a year they let Ian out again. 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. 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. 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. Susan, aged 36, a sharp woman . Facebook gives people the power. However, given that the tension in the household was persistent throughout the most crucial of Jons formative years, the belief that he had moved through the ordeal entirely unaffected is questionable. Meanwhile Robert Thompson always regarded as the ringleader and the most likely of the murderous duo to fall by the wayside is said to be doing well. The beginnings of the friendship were inauspicious enough. He said he was frightened of Robert's older brother. Mr Venables ran out of the car and grabbed him, while Robert ran off down the street laughing and shouting: 'You can't catch me.'. Left to his own devices Jon liked to spend his playtime in fairly sedentary ways. Celestial. 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. Among the list were several horror films, including one video in which the police took special interest: Child's Play 3, a film which carries the line 'Children are consumer trainees'. It set the tone for the years ahead in which there was to be no respite from the hatred. I am providing this page for those who are interested in learning more about the lives of these boys prior to their offense. NEIL Venables was warned by friends not to let his son play with the other boy. The police have uncovered no evidence of any abuse within either family. If I wanted to kill a baby, Id kill Id kill me own, wouldnt I?. She was paranoid about being discovered. 'He always seemed perfectly well behaved and I think he looked on me as some kind of grandma. He wore his dark hair short, almost a crew cut, which accentuated his ample forehead and blunt nose. When the court was played Jon's taped descriptions of how they had truanted they simultaneously smiled. 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. She would arrive at the secure unit with food parcels and is said to be proud of his achievements since the crime. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Tweet. 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. 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. In some families this was the third generation to be unemployed. The two bumped into each other - literally - in the school playground in the middle of a fight. As a result of the incident, Jon's mother decided to move him to another school.