Security launched a search for James inside the centre and James' family searched for their son overnight. 'I sat away from him - he caused trouble,' Jon said. The press were gobbling it up. He used to be bullied by other children for being so behind, and would return home at night visibly upset. Ultimately, wanting to escape the havoc, most of the boys opted to leave home, and some were placed into voluntary care at Dysons Hall, a childrens home just outside of Liverpool. Venables and Thompson were seen on CCTV calmly leading the toddler out of the shopping centre by his hand. 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. "You look at him and you say to yourself, 'How could you be involved in anything like this?'" Good people asked the boys if they were lost or urged them to take "their baby brother" home as he cried for his mummy. 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. 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. But just as he was entering the school gates he met Jon and they decided to sag off together for the fourth - and final - time. . Something went wrong, please try again later. Verdict day came. 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. Another added: "An awful mistake??!! What happened to James Bulger? re bz. It was the kind of family neighbours compare themselves against and then feel better. He has never really been what you would call a sagger off school (a truant). 'Just mad. Facebook gives people the power. It was to be an adult trial, both boys appearing every day in the full gaze of whoever was in that room, but neither giving evidence directly to the court. . The Royal Mint of a 50p coin featuring Professor Albus Dumbledore as part of a Harry Potter-themed collection. gl. The best instincts led hundreds, including me, to lay flowers a few days later at the site of James horrific end. How could two small boys savage and leave a toddler for dead? Striking members of the National Education Union (NEU) South East Region at a rally in Chichester, West Sussex, in a long-running dispute over pay, Members of the Welsh Guards replace their bearskin headress after giving three cheers during a St David's Day visit to the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards at Combermere Barracks in Windsor, Berkshire, Princess of Wales and Prince William take part in a spin class uring a visit to Aberavon Leisure and Fitness Center to meet local communities and hear about how sport and exercise can support mental health and wellbeing, in Port Talbot, Wales, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen during a press conference at the Guildhall in Windsor, Berkshire, following the announcement that they have struck a deal over the Northern Ireland Protocol, Homes sit close to the cliff edge at Hemsby in Norfolk, where the beach has been closed off because of significant erosion and the risk that homes could fall into the sea, Members of the Russian Democratic Society, a group of Russian citizens living in the UK, stage a protest outside the Russian embassy in London, to mark the one year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces enter 10 Downing Street, in London, after the National one minutes silence to mark one year since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer delivers a speech at the head office of the Co-Operative Group in Manchester, unveiling plans for a mission-led Labour government, with five national missions setting out his objectives for a Labour government if the party gains power at the next general election, Ukrainian soldiers pose with a Ukrainian flag next to a military vehicle at Bovington Camp in Dorset, Stunning colours before sunrise as people walk their dogs on Tynemouth Longsands beach in Tynemouth on the North east coast, Visitors observe Dippy the Diplodocus at the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in Coventry, where the museum will be hosting the 26-metre long replica skeleton for the next three years, Flowers, and ribbons on a bridge over the River Wyre in St Michael's on Wyre, Lancashire, where police recovered a body on Sunday, which was found by members of the public close to where Nicola Bulley disappeared on January 27, Protesters clash at a refugees welcome rally in Liverpool city centre, A Porsche 911 car is damaged by a fallen tree in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, as a result of storm Otto. I wish we could turn the clocks back,' Mrs Venables, 36, said. Born 10 days apart in August 1982 in Liverpool. By now the Venables were reunited as a result of the court case. Their seats were just below the raised dock where their sons would sit for the next three weeks, listening to a prosecution which aimed to prove not only that they killed James Bulger, but that they planned to, and that when they did they knew it to be wrong. She said that Jon was always "loving, caring, thoughtful and considerate . His mother cared about him. Online Marketing For Your Business Click here to find personal data about Susan Venables including phone numbers, addresses, directorships, electoral roll information, related property prices and other useful information. 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. 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. Ian was clever enough to know that to survive he had to get out. Twenty-five years on, Im still prone to hot tears at the memory of it all and I do question the trial. JON Venables's family was far from affluent, but it was not as close to the breadline as Robert's. His father, thin and balding, had a much gentler edge. 'I didn't know it would be like this,' Mr Venables said with hindsight. What they did was exceptionally unpleasant and the fact that a little boy ended up dead is not something the nation can easily forget. They occasionally exchanged furtive glances. His body, defiled and broken in two by a train, two miles from where hed been taken, was foundtwo days later. It was their sons picked up by detectives. everyone blamed Thompson and. He was fearful of the other boy. Robert Thompson was born to Robert Sr. and Ann Thompson on the 23rd day of August 1982, in Liverpool, England. I have cried for JamesBulgermany times, so God only knows the tears his parents and family have shed. When social workers came round, they did so to see his sister and his brother, who had learning difficulties and was receiving special education. Ann Thompson and Susan and Neil Venables didn't need to imagine. Then, one Friday in February, they discovered a new rule to break: they murdered a two-year-old. 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. Join Facebook to connect with Susan Venables and others you may know. 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. He always had plenty of friends. They deal with drugs, they deal with everything. Robert passed this down the line bullying his eight-year-old brother into playing truant. 'I think it has something to do with a hatred of vulnerability and babyness in themselves which they projected on to this toddler.'. Everton was his team. 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. I wish we could turn the clocks back," Mrs Venablessaid. Jon was slim in build and taller than Robert, just over five feet. 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. Constantly restless, his workbooks were empty, and he would often be denied recess because he was so far behind. "All he said when we've said 'Why didn't you run away?' 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. Extraordinarily, she even shouted up to the railway tracks at Walton where she knew Robert had a den. 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. I know how I feel as a mother. 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. 'The attitude when you live where we live is that you have to be tough or else you don't survive,' she said. And there were rewards for breaking rules. 'They were just your average scruff - like the rest of us.'. On November 24, 1993, the two boys, by then aged 11, became the youngest defendants to be sentenced for murder in a British court. Or they would mess around in shops, playing on computer games if Robert had his way, sliding on the polished floors if Jon had his. "He tends to be a bit hyperactive so his concentration did go a bit, but apart from that he is quite bright, no worries.". This time, curiosity took the upper hand: 'I wanted to see what it was like,' he said. Grainy CCTV footage later showed the innocent toddler being led away by Venables and Thompson, who marched the little boy through the streets of Bootle for two miles - a walk that would have taken hours given his size. Such pleasantries were not for Robbie. Their. I didnt connect the dots until much later on. I would get him something like a cartoon.". . They were sent home to their mother at one point, but after attempting suicide with overdoses, were placed back into care. Mrs Venables said: "He mentions James, not all the time. The government will be required to respond within 14 days if as the petition achieves more than 100,000 signatures. It was on his way back to the interview room when Venables finally admitted it: "We did it. S. Susan venables. Some of the red brick houses were well-kept, others had torn net curtains and grubby windows. 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 James Bulger murder View gallery Venables was born on August 12, 1982. Venables was a different creature. 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. "The age of criminal responsibility in this country is 10 that's too low. 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. The week after he walked out the family's home burned down in an accidental fire. In a 1993 interview, published in the Guardian newspaper just one day after Robert was convicted of the murder of James Bulger, Ann Thompson was quick to place fault on the neighborhood and the surrounding authorities, who she felt had failed both her and her sons. See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. 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. The other boy, Robert Thompson, we are told is now abiding by the conditions of his life license since he was released 17 years ago, and is doing well. He frequented local cinemas and regularly hired videos for the night. However, you will find some great articles which you can comment on right now in our Comment section. 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. Her warnings arent being heeded, but 25 years on, I think she is probably right. There was a pattern of bullying, with the older boys picking on their younger brothers down the line. They deal with drugs, they deal with everything. has prompted a public outcry for an investigation into issues surrounding the case. 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. Mr Venables said that the two boys had played truant together four times before, adding that he caught them twice. Sitting in the new class was a chubby boy with a cherub's face - Robert Thompson. She remained very frightened and felt that she and her son were the most hated people in the country. gk. I dont think she saw a very happy future., The author says there was no contact with the Venables family after the trial as Mrs Thompson focused, her energy on supporting her son, refusing to accept he was a monster. 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. as he was known in court - Jon Venables. His mother, Anne Marie Thompson, who is 39, got the house from the local housing trust after her husband, Robert, ran off with a woman from Stockport five years ago. Seeing at first hand the pain of a family who have lost a toddler to an act of brutal violence is almost unbearably moving. Such a childish voice. He started with Liverpool, but by the time of the murder he had switched to Blackburn Rovers. 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. Their kids have got everything. "Throughout the conduct of the case there have been a number of issues that have been swept under the carpet. It was their sons picked up by detectives. Everyone called him Chubby, because of his round, cherub's face. Ann denied the physical abuse, but later admitted to being cruel to the boys at times. She was prone to hysteria and hailed from a 'strict and disciplined' background. That seems the very least they could face for what they did. she said. Jon's parents, who sat in court for most of the trial, said they grieved for the Bulgers. 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. Mrs Venables walked around the area for hours, searching for him. "In terms of knowing what the full consequences of your actions are, you are into older childhood or adolescence. Lawyers for the pair argued that the adult court venue and publicity made it impossible for the schoolboys to be given a fair trial. Jon's parents, who sat in court for most of the trial, said they grieved for the Bulgers. Mrs Venables has also said that she felt. The Liverpool Echo boasted that their man had one of 'just 34 seats' allocated to the international press. The primary concern among the faculty was Roberts growing amount of absences. Maybe it was that incident that put the idea into Jon or Robbie's head to 'get a little boy lost'. His mind was too restless to take up other hobbies for long. Jon lived in terror of losing his mother's love, yet he was also terrified of her. "My heart really goes out to them. They didnt kill him in an accident it was premeditated and they tortured that poor baby. David Sharrock, Maggie O'Kane, and Edward Pilkington look at the lives of the rebels who turned to killing, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Boy A - Robert Thompson - was the shorter and more rounded of the two. But apart from his brother, Robert struggled to build friendships. The appearance in court this week of Venables, now a 35-year-old man, on charges of possessing indecent images of children, was a jarring reminder that, still a quarter of a century on, his rehabilitation is more an ambition than a reality. 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. Meanwhile, A petition demanding a public inquiry into James Bulger's murder case has got nearly 15,000 signatures in one day.
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