In Jon's case, 'hyperactivity' went beyond mere fidgeting into outbursts of sudden anger and violence. After a while the boys became used to it. "He fell over," was the response. This would have been at about 5.30pm - just the time the boys were about to begin killing Jamie. 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. He always had plenty of friends. He had left her to bring up six children alone. As a new documentary is set to air on ITV, the haunting words of Jon Venables' parents have resurfaced. 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. They were drawn to one another quickly. The parents of James Bulgers killers have also come to learn that the consequences of that terrible day will stay with them for ever too. I didnt connect the dots until much later on. 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. During that time, Susan felt as if she was trapped and overburdened, often taking her frustrations out on her husband, who believed it was her responsibility to take care of the children, and offered her little support in the way of childrearing. When shop keepers asked what they were doing they would pretend they were waiting for their mum. One time they sagged off with Robert's younger brother, which went disastrously wrong. Forensic and pathology evidence was a huge challenge for everyone, not least the jury who were shown pictures of James' injuries. . The haunting words of Jon Venables' parents only interview have resurfaced, twenty five years after he killed tot Jamie Bulger. I'm warning yer,' she would say. Her husband came back to Walton now and again to see his mother, but he never came to see the boys. Recently, I dug out my old notebooks of the trial and my handwriting during the verdicts says it all. Ann denied the physical abuse, but later admitted to being cruel to the boys at times. She was a woman as large in personality and physique as the burdens she carried. Just seeing the size of them that first time, the childish figures they naturally were, caught my breath. That's the thing that upsets me because obviously, where I was standing poor little James must have been not far . She visited regularly and they would hold family anniversaries in the, place where he was held. 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. Susan Venables, mother of Jon - referred to throughout the trial as Boy B - blamed her son's 'weakness' for the murder of James Bulger, . Lock him in it.'. Just having a bit of shade!! Look at mine. By chance, the rest of Jon's family was driving past and spotted them. 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. He's quite bright and clever. His mother, Susan, attributed this behavior with peer pressure and hyperactivity, and put him on a special diet, though it did nothing to quell his frequent emotional outbursts. 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. James Bulger would now be weeks away from his 23rd birthday. Read about our approach to external linking. 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. The most agonising thing about the whole case was that so many people had stopped them and questioned them. The press were gobbling it up. Facebook gives people the power. Jon, who had the most trouble sleeping, appeared fearful of Susan, and was terrified, above all, of her condemnation. 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. Forensic and pathology evidence was a huge challenge for everyone, not least the jury who were shown pictures of James injuries. Spidery and messy. sons, were settled in council houses within easy reach of the institutions where their sons were being held. "He is easily led. Still, despite being clearly intimidated by him, Roberts brother appeared to share a strangely intimate bond with him. 'The attitude when you live where we live is that you have to be tough or else you don't survive,' she said. It was a sign of such restlessness that he was unable to hang on to a football team for long - he kept shifting his allegiance like a floating voter. He disliked Thunderbirds because of the puppets' 'stringy thingies'. release. It was so stressful trying to contain him. Parents who stand by James's killers - Express.co.uk I feel so sorry for them. Click here to find personal data about Susan Venables including phone numbers, addresses, directorships, electoral roll information, related property prices and other useful information. I wasnt on duty that day, so the very beginnings of the story washed over me. Her family were dignified throughout, but on that day one of theBulgerfamily supporters allowed themselvesa loud 'YES' as the verdicts came in. Murder of James Bulger. James' mother Denise believes they should have remained in jail for life and has tirelessly campaigned against their rights to anonymity. A video still of James Bulger, aged 2 years old, being led away in the 'New Strand' shopping centre. 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. Why Alex Murdaugh was spared the death penalty, Why Trudeau is facing calls for a public inquiry, The shocking legacy of the Dutch 'Hunger Winter', Why half of India's urban women stay at home. He wore his dark hair short, almost a crew cut, which accentuated his ample forehead and blunt nose. 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. She acknowledged her son had committed a terrible crime but claimed that her innocent younger children were being denied a proper education because of having to abandon their homes to escape attacks. After a while he tried to commit suicide to get back in. For his parents, the fact they were children was actually a cause for hope at that point. During the Bulger investigation, police checked the details of 50 videos Mr Venables had hired in recent months. She couldn't. He believes these were evil boys. "BULL**** about 'two frightened kids whod made a terrible mistake' The tapes said they kept stoning him, even when he kept getting up. He was fearful of the other boy. By now the Venables were reunited as a result of the court case. When Jon's parents gave a recent press interview, it was Mrs Venables who did most of the talking; the father just sat and cried. 'America is the land of shopping malls. But he is not a murderer. Instead, she was involved in an ITV documentary with Sir Trevor McDonald that will air on Thursday. 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. Naturaleza. 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. He said he was frightened of Robert's older brother. . At night, for instance, the two boys would lie in bed together and suck each others thumbs. The Swedes, French, Germans, Canadian and Americans had all come to gaze at Liverpool's child killers. 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. The petition, that now has 14,682 signatures, reads: "We want a Public Inquiry into the James Bulger murder case. Neil Venables, 40, said he felt "just devastated, thinking of that little boy'. Robert was number five of seven. ROBERT had a reputation in the neighbourhood for being a troublemaker. 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. Trauma? Bird Pictures. At the end of the street a mesh wire frame coverered the window of the money lenders. 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. She was prone to hysteria and hailed from a 'strict and disciplined' background. Not surprisingly, Ann had also attempted suicide in the same manner, some months before. Jon's first year after he was moved was relatively successful. Susan was known as the town " whore". 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. Some people thought they were as old as 12 or 13, but when they met they were both only 10 years old. Jon spent Sunday to Thursday with his mum and the rest of every week with his dad. Those who knew him well said he was a very emotional child, prone to mood swings. As a result of the incident, Jon's mother decided to move him to another school. Jon's parents said they talked to their son about James after he was arrested, but had to stop. My young body must have been tense with the deep anxiety that permeated every inch of that courtroom. 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. Keep them apart or he'll get into trouble, they said. 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. For she added: 'But he's not a murderer.'. 'I couldn't be arsed talking about them,' said one. Our feelings haven't changed towards him. 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. His response couldn't have been more different as he sank into the oversized blazer he was wearing. We still think the same of him as we always have. INSIDE the court sat the two boys, dwarfed by the weight and majesty of the place. Revealed: The horror drawing by Jon Venables weeks before he killed I have cried for JamesBulgermany times, so God only knows the tears his parents and family have shed. Ann Thompson and Susan and Neil Venables didn't need to imagine. It seems likely that he was bullied. I don't think so. Get the biggest TV headlines, recaps and insider knowledge straight to your inbox. Robert always wanted to stay out late and encouraged Jon to join him. Constantly restless, his workbooks were empty, and he would often be denied recess because he was so far behind. It's high time they were investigated. 'I walked round for a couple of hours trying to find them. Real bottom of the gut stuff, like an animal. 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. Venables on the other hand was becoming increasingly agitated in the police interviews. One could draw some parallels between the film's plot and James Bulger's death. and things like that is that he was frightened. portrayed him as the leader and evil one, says James Smith. At Preston Crown Court Thompsons mother Ann and Venables parents Neil and Sue sat side by side. That was in September 1991, 17 months before they killed James Bulger. His mother was not so keen on the idea - they cost pounds 35 each. Bulger killer had 'better life' after toddler murder - BBC News 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. James Bulger murder: Shelagh Fogarty remembers the trial But his outbursts of anger grew worse and he was suspended for trying to throttle a boy with a ruler. '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. . Scores more watched proceedings from a neighbouring office block which, for the duration of the trial, came under court jurisdiction. Susan Venables - Facebook He says 'I know, Mum'. He would go to bed. I said no. Once he stole decorating borders from a DIY shop which he discarded at regular intervals to mark his way home. Such pleasantries were not for Robbie. Security launched a search for James inside the centre and James' family searched for their son overnight. He has had Christmas presents. 'It was very dark and I shouted down, shouted his name. The teacher had a different perspective, saying that Susan was in fact aware of the issue, and had expressed deep concern. Neil Venables regarded himself as the Barry Norman of Merseyside - a film buff with a penchant for horror. DAVID James Smith, who visited Mrs Thompson at one of her secret homes, reveals that it was a sad existence. He wanted a Rovers strip for his birthday present. The Crown Prosecution Service released a statement in January confirming Venables had been charged. 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. Its beyond me," one viewer tweeted. Then they had carried, dragged and kicked him along a two and a half mile journey, at times swinging him violently in the air or dropping him against the road, until they reached the railway where they stoned him with bricks, bashed his head with a 22lb iron bar, and left him dead across the tracks to be cut in half by a passing goods train. Celestial. The only sign he was discomforted by hearing it was a near constant pulling of his tongue in his hands. At school Jon was considered bright enough, though he had trouble keeping up with lessons. On the days he was at school he had a knack for stirring things up. "Throughout the conduct of the case there have been a number of issues that have been swept under the carpet. We feel so sorry for him because he must be going through so much torment. Walton Village Financial Services would lend you pounds 300 for Christmas and demand a total of pounds 460 in repayment. But he liked collecting trolls, little doll-like creatures with ugly faces and spiky fluorescent hair. The case is doomed to be picked over by every faction within the caring professionals and politics. Guilty of abducting and murdering James PatrickBulger. Then, one Friday in February, they discovered a new rule to break: they murdered a two-year-old. Jobs were few and far between. ql zo. The James Bulger murder View gallery Venables was born on August 12, 1982. Regrettably, yet perhaps not entirely unforeseen, the cycle of abuse continued. He has never really been what you would call a sagger off school (a truant). the street. The primary concern among the faculty was Roberts growing amount of absences. ", 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.". Both parents hope was that he would make something of his life and eventually find some peace. Facebook gives people the power. I don't think they understood he was hyperactive. ', The closest either boy came to offering an explanation was when Jon was asked by police why he had taken James's shoe off by the railway tracks. Susan Venables agreed but on condition that she saw her son first. MOST of the boys were bright. Without anyone in the family to turn to for support, he had to look outside for people whose swaggering aggression he could emulate. 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. We feel so sorry for him because he must be going through so much torment. A day later she would face much worse. There was almost total silence there apart from the sound of shoes on the ground. It was the kind of family neighbours compare themselves against and then feel better. The Killing of James Bulger: Where are Robert Thompson and Jon Venables There is, like, a little paint factory. 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.
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