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. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. He has been educated. By then, Robert and Jon had abducted James Bulger from the Strand and attempted to drown him in the nearby canal. Since the murder Robert has been in a state of post-traumatic shock, hounded by nightmares and flashbacks from the railway tracks. More often, he would pinch them from local shops. xf fy. At Radio City in Liverpool the calls were coming through from Australia, New Zealand and Canada. "'It wasnt fair to interview him. A smell of bleach lingered on some of the tiled steps that led up to the front doors. Venables on the other hand was becoming increasingly agitated in the police interviews. 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". We have found 88 people in the UK with the name Susan Venables. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Robert said 'If you tell anybody I'll get my big brother to batter you up'. Yes, these things are important, but trust. 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'I sat away from him - he caused trouble,' Jon said. 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. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express. 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. MOST of the boys were bright. Thompson and Venables, now both 27 years old, are among only four individuals in the UK whose crimes are so notorious that they have been given lifelong anonymity. 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. Such a childish voice. 'He always seemed perfectly well behaved and I think he looked on me as some kind of grandma. 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. "He tends to be a bit hyperactive so his concentration did go a bit, but apart from that he is quite bright, no worries.". Shame? When Robert was asked what his hobby was he did not say trolls but 'skipping school'. release. 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. . Mrs Venables said: 'I think it was because the class group was too big for them to go in . Our feelings haven't changed towards him. The left will make play of social deprivation, unemployment, bad housing and general inner-city rot. Will you tell his Mum Im sorry?. Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, both 10, murdered him in cold blood. Robert always wanted to stay out late and encouraged Jon to join him. 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. Robert is not believed to have reoffended - Venables has been convicted twice since being set free. 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. They went on family outings together, slept together, and when Susan did find a place, virtually coexisted between the two homes. More press conferences, terrible details beginning to emerge about the state James was found in, and the chilling prospect, soon confirmed, that indeed it was children who had done this. "All he said when we've said 'Why didn't you run away?' They probably weren't out to kill someone, but they were probably out to ruin someone else's happiness. This happened, more often than not, at night, when they refused to go to bed when told. Ultimately, however, the couples indifferences led to separation, and they were eventually divorced in 1986. He did like to be liked, and loved to have friends, and he has got involved with the wrong person.". They were in the Strand shopping centre in Bootle when the brother wandered off. His mind was too restless to take up other hobbies for long. He had been quiet that weekend, they said, but they had thought that was because his mother had taken him to the police station on the Friday evening for playing truant. Real bottom of the gut stuff, like an animal. Nicola had to exchange some clothes at TJ Hughes, Denise waited nearby, watching the children. 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. They played a double act towards the children: his mother, Susan, aged 36, a sharp woman with a hawkish look, was the hard one. The boys lived off chips. 'I don't know,' he replied. Ann Thompson and Susan and Neil Venables didn't need to imagine. In the business world, too many people think it's all about being hard, tough, ambitious, or having grit. In contrast he has had no contact with his father despite an approach soon after sentencing. The shock in the city was plain to see, but it wasn't just in Liverpool that people stared at the CCTV pictures of the boy holding James' hand, while another led the way to the exit of the shopping centre where a frantic Denise Bulger would have been desperately looking for her child. As a result of the incident, Jon's mother decided to move him to another school. The documentary on the James Bulger murder case sparked anger after viewers criticised the Channel 4 show for "sympathising" with the toddler's killers. Teachers later reported that whereas the boys were manageable when separated, together their behavior worsened dramatically. S. Susan venables. 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. Most of the fun revolved around shoplifting - sweets, trolls, pepperami, tins of modelling paint, drinks, candles; anything, really. 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. The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. Walton Village Financial Services would lend you pounds 300 for Christmas and demand a total of pounds 460 in repayment. I wish we could turn the clocks back," Mrs Venablessaid. He frequented local cinemas and regularly hired videos for the night. He was in great distress' And what about the little, innocent boy he killed??! 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. We still think the same of him as we always have. Usually, they were slung out. It's high time they were investigated. They said their son met Robert Thompson in September 1991, when Jon was transferred from another school. What happened to James Bulger? The most agonising thing about the whole case was that so many people had stopped them and questioned them. On Sundays he used to watch Thunderbirds. Toddler James Bulger disappeared on February 12 1993. ', A psychoanalyst and child psychotherapist comes up with yet another possible explanation. The case is doomed to be picked over by every faction within the caring professionals and politics. "It is hard to take in really. 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. ROBERT had a reputation in the neighbourhood for being a troublemaker. IN their interviews with the two boys, psychiatrists could find no clues to why the boys acted so violently. On the days he was at school he had a knack for stirring things up. 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. Jon's first year after he was moved was relatively successful. Dudson was given a minimum term of 18 years. Born on August 13th, 1982, Jon was the middle child of Neil and Susan Venables. Susan opted to remove him from the school then, and some months later, she reenrolled him in St. Marys in Walton. 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 best instincts led hundreds, including me, to lay flowers a few days later at the site of James horrific end. 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. 'In my opinion he was victimised. I just heard an almighty screech. 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. He appears to be a normal human, but inside the soft flesh there is indestructable metal. There was a pattern of bullying, with the older boys picking on their younger brothers down the line. yet, as Venables is back behind bars. They didnt kill him in an accident it was premeditated and they tortured that poor baby. He was too scared to be naughty on his own. 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. We still think the same of him as we always have. He also liked to scare old ladies by jumping out in front of their noses. He said he was frightened of Robert's older brother. But he liked collecting trolls, little doll-like creatures with ugly faces and spiky fluorescent hair. He was given a new name, a job and a flat on his release to try to ensure his security . Sitting in the new class was a chubby boy with a cherub's face - Robert Thompson. Get the biggest TV headlines, recaps and insider knowledge straight to your inbox. We will never be able to do the fun things any more . Heck, we don't even have murderers that young in New York.'. I came back and then (Mrs Venables) went out. As his killers began their sentences, such was the revulsion that it was already clear their families could not. James Bulger would now be weeks away from his 23rd birthday. Maybe it was that incident that put the idea into Jon or Robbie's head to 'get a little boy lost'. 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. Venables and Thompson abducted, tortured and killed two-year-old James in Liverpool in 1993 when they were both aged just 10. The police have uncovered no evidence of any abuse within either family. I didnt, did I? she said to Neil during their interview with Gitta Sereny. 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. They were drawn to one another quickly. . According to a legal source we spoke to this week, Jon Venables parents have sought to be a support for their son, despite the enormity of his crime. Whatever problems she had in her own life, she was always there. Once he stole decorating borders from a DIY shop which he discarded at regular intervals to mark his way home. re bz. They were intent on killing. as he was known in court - Jon Venables. The documentary last night featured interviews with those involved in the 1993 trial, including James dad Ralph Bulger, Jon Venables solicitor Laurence Lee and detective sergeant Phil Roberts, who interviewed Robert Thompson. Click here to find personal data about Susan Venables including phone numbers, addresses, directorships, electoral roll information, related property prices and other useful information. Channel 5 is set to air a new two-part documentary that tells the definitive story of . But he is not a murderer. 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. One time they sagged off with Robert's younger brother, which went disastrously wrong. His mother called him hyperactive since, even more than his friend, he was scarcely able to sit still. The teacher had a different perspective, saying that Susan was in fact aware of the issue, and had expressed deep concern. 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. Fiction Writing. Security launched a search for James inside the centre and James' family searched for their son overnight. He's a good reader if he's interested in it. Other parents came in to complain about attention seeking. The end of the court case was not the end of course. The trial though didnt, and was never designed to, shed light on how two such young children could be guilty of such sustained barbarity. Both had parents who had separated. 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. Then there were the separated parents, the poverty, the truanting, the videos. Guilty of abducting and murdering James PatrickBulger. We are proud to endorse the COP27 Leather Manifesto. "I think my son's concentration wasn't the way it should have been, but he wasn't slow. Instead, she was involved in an ITV documentary with Sir Trevor McDonald that will air on Thursday. Only two people can answer the question, and even their ability is doubtful. Birds. Express. Some of the red brick houses were well-kept, others had torn net curtains and grubby windows. They fled the city, never to return. Many of us had dined together most nights throughout the trial, mulling it all over but distracting ourselves, too. 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. They looked, moved, fidgeted, scratched, cried - even sucked their thumbs - just like any 11-year-olds. Venables served seven years of a life sentence for the 1993 murder before he was freed in June 2001, aged 18. After a while the 10-year-olds began to charge - a tenner an interview. For me, though, it is Susan and Neil Venables who stay most in my memory of that day. One investigating police officer said: 'You could look into the eyes of Robert and knew you were looking at evil.' That means he is currently 35-years-old. I feel so sorry for them. School had no hold on him - there was no corporal punishment or other form of penalty that touched him. Wiping away tears, he went on: 'I feel for that family. Then they would hide their school satchels under a subway and set off on their adventure. Venables was a different creature. You know, we just try and help him as best we can to try to come to terms with things. "Throughout the conduct of the case there have been a number of issues that have been swept under the carpet. 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. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? He didn't want to hurt James. His parents, Susan and Neil, accompanied him during the interview process. Pictures; Inside the Guardian; Guardian Weekly . By chance, the rest of Jon's family was driving past and spotted them. The first Susan Venables knew they had stayed away from school was when she saw one of Jon's classmates on her way home with the gerbils. But I still kept him in if he was naughty or anything like that.'. Susan Venables's bent body shrank deeper into itself. The living versions on the floor of the court looked equally wrinkled and austere. Only a handful of officials and close family members know their true identities. This story has no borders,' NBC correspondent Denis Murphy said. Words with the drawing, full of spelling mistakes and grammatical. I wasnt on duty that day, so the very beginnings of the story washed over me. 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. 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. They sat just feet from me, perched on the edge of their wooden seat, smartly dressed and hunched in shame just below their son, Jon. Just as Venables's confession convicted him, a shoe print belonging to Robert Thompson, found on James cheekbone, confirmed his guilt, too. Something went wrong, please try again later. A video still of James Bulger, aged 2 years old, being led away in the 'New Strand' shopping centre. The pair was tried for the abduction and murder of James as adults owing to the fact they were over 10, which is legally deemed to be the age of criminal responsibility. Forlorn hope, though. The couple, who are living together again after a partial separation, said their feelings towards Jon had not changed despite the terrible crime. Susan Venables, mother of Jon - referred to throughout the trial as Boy B - blamed her son's 'weakness' for the murder of James Bulger, . One neighbour said she always let him into her home whenever his mother was out. He liked to spend the weekend on the streets. They knew what they were doing," another wrote. "He is easily led. He had a Game Boy console and hankered after a Sega machine, and when they played truant he would head straight for the computer game corner of Tandy's or Dixons. 'The attitude when you live where we live is that you have to be tough or else you don't survive,' she said. One of Anns sons claimed that Ann, too, had beaten them with sticks, and had struck one of the boys with a cane. Mr Venables said that the two boys had played truant together four times before, adding that he caught them twice. The toddler's mum Denise Bulger was at the counter of a butchers in the Strand shopping centre in Bootle, Liverpool, on February 12, 1993, when she briefly let go of her son's hand to get some change from her purse. Mrs Thompson worked as an office cleaner until two years ago, when she got pregnant again by another man, who also left her. Most people would regard such sentiments as having come rather late in the day and certainly too late to save poor James. Susan Venables Facebook: susan.venables.9 Lives in Mellor, Blackburn With Darwen, . Spidery and messy. 'I think about little James and what he must have gone through, how they must feel. The sunrises through the sea mist over the sculpture The Couple by Sean Henry at Newbiggin-by-the-Sea on the Northumberland coast. 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. 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. 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. He is one of those children that if you told him to put his hand in the fire, he would. Her warnings arent being heeded, but 25 years on, I think she is probably right. One woman asked how James had injured his forehead. They rejected suggestions that he could have watched Child's Play Three, a film that his father had rented three weeks before James's death, which, it has been claimed, included scenes similar to those of the attack on the two-year-old. It was this empowering chemistry between them that some argued set into motion the life-altering events that would devastate a family, challenge a community, and rock a nations core in the disquieting months that followed. Since his 14-year-old brother, Phillip , had already tried to stab him, the social services agreed. But now and again. 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. Three years ago, after his mother walloped him, he went to social services and asked them to put him in care. Boy A - Robert Thompson - was the shorter and more rounded of the two. On countless occasions, Bobby battered his wife, once causing her to miscarry, and his temper didnt stop at his wife. I know how I feel as a mother. Haunting CCTV footage shows the pair leading the tiny, trusting boy . It should certainly be moved up to 12; in some European countries it is 14," she said. 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.