He was too scared to be naughty on his own. NEIL Venables was warned by friends not to let his son play with the other boy. 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. Susan Venables, now 53, suffered from severe depres-sion and struggled with her two other children, an older son and younger daughter, who suffered learning difficulties. MOST of the boys were bright. re bz. When Jon left home on the morning of Friday, February 12 he was happy because it was the last day of school before a week's holiday and he was going to take some pet gerbils home. Boy A - Robert Thompson - was the shorter and more rounded of the two. Recently, I dug out my old notebooks of the trial and my handwriting during the verdicts says it all. Shed never been back but she clearly missed Liverpool and had tried to recreate the city in her new home, he recalls. After a while the 10-year-olds began to charge - a tenner an interview. . 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. 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. Most of the fun revolved around shoplifting - sweets, trolls, pepperami, tins of modelling paint, drinks, candles; anything, really. 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". 'I thought he was all right,' said Boy B, as he was known in court - Jon Venables. He didn't want to hurt James. This happened, more often than not, at night, when they refused to go to bed when told. Venables was a different creature. Susan opted to remove him from the school then, and some months later, she reenrolled him in St. Marys in Walton. On Monday night's documentary, Robert Thompson's solicitor Dominic Lloyd said: "Many years after the trial a juror said 'we found them guilty of murder but we didn't have the option to find them guilty of being two very bewildered and frightened little boys who made an awful mistake and need a lot of help'.". 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. At the trialnine months laterI would learn that Robert Thompson had been among those people. The Liverpool Echo boasted that their man had one of 'just 34 seats' allocated to the international press. Just seeing the size of them that first time, the childish figures they naturally were, caught my breath. 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. Her husband came back to Walton now and again to see his mother, but he never came to see the boys. 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. We still think the same of him as we always have. 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! 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. I used to get them for myself at night time. '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. Thompson was inscrutable in the dock as we heard his voice for the first time. Her warnings arent being heeded, but 25 years on, I think she is probably right. Counsel for the prosecution, Richard Henriques QC, made it clear all three elements needed to be proved for a murder conviction. He was jailed for two years before being granted parole again in July 2013. 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. . The two bumped into each other - literally - in the school playground in the middle of a fight. The breaking point came when Jon was suspended from Broad Square after attempting to choke a classmate with a twelve-inch wooden ruler. ', Mrs Thompson had no illusions about her son: 'He's a little liar, he's devious, he's a scally, he robs, he plays truant.' He would go to bed. By then, Robert and Jon had abducted James Bulger from the Strand and attempted to drown him in the nearby canal. Jon was also mad on computers. I didnt, did I? she said to Neil during their interview with Gitta Sereny. Channel 5 is set to air a new two-part documentary that tells the definitive story of . "I don't think we went wrong as parents at all. 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. I just heard an almighty screech. When Robert was asked what his hobby was he did not say trolls but 'skipping school'. This would have put Jon in a particularly arduous position, as the couples only excelling child, and as author Gitta Sereny observed from her time spent with the Venables in 1994, forcing this middle child, Jon, for a long time, perhaps unconsciously, to compensate his mother for her two problem children, put an enormous weight of responsibility on this child virtually from the time he was born., As Susan struggled to manage her two disadvantaged children day to day, Neil was the familys breadwinner, working as a forklift driver. We will never be able to do the fun things any more . gl. The living versions on the floor of the court looked equally wrinkled and austere. She remained very frightened and felt that she and her son were the most hated people in the country. James' mother Denise believes they should have remained in jail for life and has tirelessly campaigned against their rights to anonymity. Ironically, Jon was the child who caused his parents least anxiety. Ann, desperate to escape the physical and emotional torment of living with her drunken father, was married to Robert, Sr. in December 1971, on the day of her eighteenth birthday. 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. By now the two boys from Walton were part of an international freak show. 'Provided you have no court orders for debts already,' the man on the phone would add helpfully. Susan was known as the town " whore". 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. I suspect she still feels that., In 2001 there was a renewed uproar over the case when it emerged that the killers were to be freed, despite a. recommendation by the trial judge that they should remain behind bars for a very long time. The pair were handed new identities after being released from prison. I just think of James and his Dad and about all that fun with his little boy, like I had with Jon.". We are proud to endorse the COP27 Leather Manifesto. Jon breaks into hysteria whenever the subject is mentioned. Not surprisingly, Ann had also attempted suicide in the same manner, some months before. Their parents entered the courtroom; The Venables arrived together, Ann Thompson came with supporters but no sign of Robert's father. "I think my son's concentration wasn't the way it should have been, but he wasn't slow. Born 10 days apart in August 1982 in Liverpool. 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. His mother called him hyperactive since, even more than his friend, he was scarcely able to sit still. A police officer remembered Venables being so small that his legs didn't touch the floor as he sat in the custody office after his arrest. We have found 88 people in the UK with the name Susan Venables. 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. Instead, she was involved in an ITV documentary with Sir Trevor McDonald that will air on Thursday. Susan Venables has blamed weakness for her sons role in the killing of James Bulger, claiming that he got involved with the wrong person. Join Facebook to connect with Susan Venables and others you may know. Such a childish voice. I would get him something like a cartoon.". On Sundays he used to watch Thunderbirds. He liked to spend the weekend on the streets. His mother especially has been a tower of strength, says the source. She was a happy baby, much happier than her eldest brother had been, but as she grew older, Susan began noticing that she, too, appeared lazy, and was not as advanced as Jon. 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. 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. Venables on the other hand was becoming increasingly agitated in the police interviews. Thompson & Venebales. 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. Susan Venables agreed but on condition that she saw her son first. 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. It emerged that the Venables family had suffered the same fate in another area. Forensic and pathology evidence was a huge challenge for everyone, not least the jury who were shown pictures of James' injuries. Only a handful of officials and close family members know their true identities. Venables parents were divorced but still lived within a stones throw of one another and were both involved in their sons upbringing. 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. 'They would say 'take your son home'. On countless occasions, Bobby battered his wife, once causing her to miscarry, and his temper didnt stop at his wife. Not for long though. I thought he was all right, Jon said of Robert during his police interviews. 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). Mrs Thompson claimed she had been the victim of revenge attacks after her identity became known. 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. We still dont know why. Since the murder Robert has been in a state of post-traumatic shock, hounded by nightmares and flashbacks from the railway tracks. That's the thing that upsets me because obviously, where I was standing poor little James must have been not far . 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. The Rt Reverend Glyn Webster lights a candle in front of the newly restored Lady Chapel East Window at All Saints North Street in York, one of thirteen stained glass windows from the church undergoing conservation work at Barley Studio, Royal College of Nursing (RCN) general secretary Pat Cullen on the picket line outside Great Ormond Street Hospital in London during a strike by nurses and ambulance staff, Britains former prime minister Liz Truss leaves her home on February 5, 2023 in London, England. They had to report him missing at the security office before he was found, and Jon's mother was very angry. The bird was taken to the vets where they are nursing it back to health. Venables and Thompson abducted, tortured and killed two-year-old James in Liverpool in 1993 when they were both aged just 10. cl gz. . On one occasion, he said, Robert ran off down the street laughing, "You can't catch me". Mrs Venables walked around the area for hours, searching for him. Southern. After a while the boys became used to it. [3] [4] Thompson and Venables led Bulger away . James Bulger was weeks away from his third birthday, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson behaved very differently in court, Mother who killed her five children euthanised, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus, Alex Murdaugh jailed for life for double murder, US sues Exxon over nooses found at Louisiana plant, Zoom boss Greg Tomb fired without cause. Both had parents who had separated. Kids fantasise about such things. There is, like, a little paint factory. 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 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. his mother was told that it was important that she stayed in his life and stood by him. His mother gave him pocket money to buy them. 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Less thanfive hours laterthe verdicts were in. Aged 10, he was barely literate. Both parents hope was that he would make something of his life and eventually find some peace. 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. ', A psychoanalyst and child psychotherapist comes up with yet another possible explanation. I wish we could turn the clocks back,' Mrs Venables, 36, said. There is hatred and envy directed at the baby - a wish to see it suffer in the way they have suffered. portrayed him as the leader and evil one, says James Smith. "In order that justice can be done, no further details are being released at this stage and the proceedings are subject to reporting restrictions.". Still, despite being clearly intimidated by him, Roberts brother appeared to share a strangely intimate bond with him. They deal with drugs, they deal with everything. Haunting CCTV footage shows the pair leading the tiny, trusting boy . . He was fearful, he was weak and he was provoked. Click here to find personal data about Susan Venables including phone numbers, addresses, directorships, electoral roll information, related property prices and other useful information. 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. "What he's done is wrong so he needs to be punished. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Walton Village Financial Services would lend you pounds 300 for Christmas and demand a total of pounds 460 in repayment. But now and again. Neither gave evidence to the court, but were found guilty after an officer told how Venables admitted the murder, saying, "We did it. They knew what they were doing," another wrote. The week after he walked out the family's home burned down in an accidental fire. 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. 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. He has had more love and attention than a lot of children I know. The couple was financially strained from the start, but Ann did what she could to make it work. In some families this was the third generation to be unemployed. He wore his dark hair short, almost a crew cut, which accentuated his ample forehead and blunt nose. He believes these were evil boys. Friday 12th February 1993. He would throw things at other children, cut himself deliberately with scissors and stick paper all over his face. Such pleasantries were not for Robbie. The atmosphere in the courtroom was oppressive as the tension of a month was about to break. Left to his own devices Jon liked to spend his playtime in fairly sedentary ways. 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. 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. A pathologist later said that there were so many injuries - 42 in total - that not one could be isolated as causing the little boy's fatal wound. James Bulger would now be weeks away from his 23rd birthday. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Born on August 13th, 1982, Jon was the middle child of Neil and Susan Venables. To do that he put on the witness stand all those people who had seen the three boys on the route from the shopping centre to the railway line. I have lost my son as well. Toddler James Bulger disappeared on February 12 1993. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Something went wrong, please try again later. Extraordinarily, she even shouted up to the railway tracks at Walton where she knew Robert had a den. Are they mad? One police officer described how Jon Venables was so small, his legs were swinging in the air as he sat in the custody office. IN their interviews with the two boys, psychiatrists could find no clues to why the boys acted so violently. But his outbursts of anger grew worse and he was suspended for trying to throttle a boy with a ruler. 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. 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. Keep them apart or he'll get into trouble, they said. She couldn't. Ann Thompson and Susan and Neil Venables didn't need to imagine. Once they went into a home decoration shop and hid under a pile of carpets. 2023 BBC. He said he was frightened of Robert's older brother. Tweet. At the end of the street a mesh wire frame coverered the window of the money lenders. 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. What they did was exceptionally unpleasant and the fact that a little boy ended up dead is not something the nation can easily forget. Both were banned from ever returning to Liverpool and given new identities at a reported cost of 1.5million. Robert always wanted to stay out late and encouraged Jon to join him. If it suited his moodwhich it frequently didBobby would beat the boys, curse at them, and threaten to send them to a home for children who misbehaved. ", 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.". Grainy CCTV footage shows them walking James away from the Strand . Some of the red brick houses were well-kept, others had torn net curtains and grubby windows.