For his parents, the fact they were children was actually a cause for hope at that point. Drivers have been warned to leave extra time for their Monday morning commute due to icy roads during rush hour, following a weekend of wintry weather. It is here, of course, that Jon met and made friends with fellow eccentric, Robert Thompson. The statement said: "The man formerly known as Jon Venables has been charged with offences relating to indecent images of children and will appear in the Crown Court. The four who drove Suzanne to Romiley - Jean Powell (now Jean Gillespie), Bernadette McNeilly, Glyn Powell, and Anthony Dudson - were all found guilty of murder. Shed never been back but she clearly missed Liverpool and had tried to recreate the city in her new home, he recalls. One could draw some parallels between the film's plot and James Bulger's death. They looked, moved, fidgeted, scratched, cried - even sucked their thumbs - just like any 11-year-olds. Get out and get into Dyson Hall children's centre, the only residential care school in the country just outside Liverpool. 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. . They saw it with their eyes. This time we came together in shock and disbelief. Little Bobby went to visit his brothers every so often, eager to show them the latest playthings he had robbed from the assorted shops nearby. everyone blamed Thompson and. It was their sons picked up by detectives. I barely need to refer to my notes to remember in great detail the events that would dominate British news for years. Shame? his killers were just 10 years old and attention focused on their upbringing and dysfunctional home life. eb. has prompted a public outcry for an investigation into issues surrounding the case. 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. Not their punishmentand exclusion from society for the rest of their childhood. Thompson got better opportunities there than if hed been walking the streets in Walton, says the author. 'In my opinion he was victimised. 'They would say 'take your son home'. It is just heartbreaking.". One of Anns sons claimed that Ann, too, had beaten them with sticks, and had struck one of the boys with a cane. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? On one occasion, he said, Robert ran off down the street laughing, "You can't catch me". 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. Real bottom of the gut stuff, like an animal. Egypt. He has been educated. So he came home. "It was very dark and I shouted down, shouted his name. Join Facebook to connect with Susan Venables and others you may know. His mother gave him pocket money to buy them. Some of the red brick houses were well-kept, others had torn net curtains and grubby windows. Susan Venables Facebook: susan.venables.9 Lives in Mellor, Blackburn With Darwen, . 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. She said that Jon was always "loving, caring, thoughtful and considerate . 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. and things like that is that he was frightened. The case is doomed to be picked over by every faction within the caring professionals and politics. But apart from his brother, Robert struggled to build friendships. xf fy. We are proud to endorse the COP27 Leather Manifesto. Twenty-five years on, Im still prone to hot tears at the memory of it all and I do question the trial. 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. Apart from Jon's incident with the ruler, there had been no record of previous violence. He is an old-fashioned crime and punishment man. How could two small boys savage and leave a toddler for dead? Forensic and pathology evidence was a huge challenge for everyone, not least the jury who were shown pictures of James injuries. He was given a new name, a job and a flat on his release to try to ensure his security . kl. The boys, by now lacking any sense of guidance within the home, took to the streets, robbing, truanting, and some of them experimenting with drugs. He gets upset. By now, Robert had also stepped comfortably into the role of the aggressor, and, following in the footsteps of his elder brothers, began tormenting his eight-year-old brother on a daily basis. 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. S. Susan venables. 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. Susan Venabless bent body shrank deeper into itself. In March 2010, Venables was recalled to prison for downloading and distributing more than 100 images of child abuse. She said that Jon was always "loving, caring, thoughtful and considerate . Mrs Venables said: "He mentions James, not all the time. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? His parents say he is 'broken-hearted'. 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. Both of them struggled at school and had been lumped into the year below their age. That was in September 1991, 17 months before they killed James Bulger. The guilty verdicts came quickly - within five hours. Neil Venables, 40, said he felt "just devastated, thinking of that little boy'. The breaking point came when Jon was suspended from Broad Square after attempting to choke a classmate with a twelve-inch wooden ruler. But viewers were shocked when experts "defended" the 10-year-old murderers saying they made "an awful mistake". It should certainly be moved up to 12; in some European countries it is 14," she said. "The age of criminal responsibility in this country is 10 that's too low. 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. 'It was very dark and I shouted down, shouted his name. 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. 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! Get the biggest TV headlines, recaps and insider knowledge straight to your inbox. Their faces affected me deeply. ", 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.". 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. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Weeping, she said: 'I wasn't actually on the railway track because there is a fence, but I went up the side. Read about our approach to external linking. Jon was also mad on computers. Three years ago, after his mother walloped him, he went to social services and asked them to put him in care. sp. 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. 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. 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. A parole board ruled that Thompson and Venables were no longer a threat. The mayor of Preston accused them of being sick ghouls, but still they came, queuing up for tickets two hours before proceedings began. They had much in common. Truanting, or 'sagging off', had become a way of life for Robert. 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. View the profiles of people named Susan Venables. Mrs Venables walked around the area for hours, searching for him. The teacher had a different perspective, saying that Susan was in fact aware of the issue, and had expressed deep concern. INSIDE the court sat the two boys, dwarfed by the weight and majesty of the place. In some families this was the third generation to be unemployed. Ian was clever enough to know that to survive he had to get out. When the court was played Jon's taped descriptions of how they had truanted they simultaneously smiled. They occasionally exchanged furtive glances. Hope. The fathers of both Robert and Jon were without work. Architect Shahed Saleem in the Ramadan Pavilion 2023 at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Seeing at first hand the pain of a family who have lost a toddler to an act of brutal violence is almost unbearably moving. When he played truant he was scared she would come and find him. Her family were dignified throughout, but on that day one of theBulgerfamily supporters allowed themselvesa loud 'YES' as the verdicts came in. Whatever problems she had in her own life, she was always there. Facebook gives people the power. He stayed away from school so often the local police called him a professional truant. David James Smith, who wrote a book about the Bulger case, The Sleep Of Reason, and stayed in touch with Ann Thompson afterwards. I just think of James and his Dad and about all that fun with his little boy, like I had with Jon.". And now The Bulger Killers: Was Justice Done? She couldn't. They hid his body under bricks so that the first train to come along cut his body in two, but he was already dead before this happened. yet, as Venables is back behind bars. James' mother Denise believes they should have remained in jail for life and has tirelessly campaigned against their rights to anonymity. He was fearful, he was weak and he was provoked. They would sneak out during the morning break, hiding behind a wall before the coast was clear. But his outbursts of anger grew worse and he was suspended for trying to throttle a boy with a ruler. 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. His parents, Susan and Neil, accompanied him during the interview process. Susan, aged 36, a sharp woman . Lawyers for the pair argued that the adult court venue and publicity made it impossible for the schoolboys to be given a fair trial. Since the murder Robert has been in a state of post-traumatic shock, hounded by nightmares and flashbacks from the railway tracks. When social workers came round, they did so to see his sister and his brother, who had learning difficulties and was receiving special education. ', They sagged off in the afternoon and walked around the shops in County Road, near Walton. The bleached houses were peppered with burglar alarms, the shabby ones did not look worth the trouble. His mind was too restless to take up other hobbies for long. 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. He used to be bullied by other children for being so behind, and would return home at night visibly upset. Grey Heron. Although he appeared to have the more stable upbringing of the two boys, there was a history of family problems. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. fun to be with". We still think the same of him as we always have. I just burst into tears because you just knew what that meanther heart was broken. A smell of bleach lingered on some of the tiled steps that led up to the front doors. 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. Self pity? The family was put up in a hostel temporarily and later relocated by the social services. The old wood panelled courtroom is small. Since his 14-year-old brother, Phillip , had already tried to stab him, the social services agreed. . Scores more watched proceedings from a neighbouring office block which, for the duration of the trial, came under court jurisdiction. . The Crown Prosecution Service released a statement in January confirming Venables had been charged. Superintendent Kirby is a religious man. She visited regularly and they would hold family anniversaries in the, place where he was held. For me, though, it is Susan and Neil Venables who stay most in my memory of that day. I wasnt on duty that day, so the very beginnings of the story washed over me. "Youngsters are usually tried in a youth court, [Thompson and Venables] were tried in an adult court. I wonder how many parents looked at their sons of a similar age that week, sure in the knowledge their own children could never be so wicked, but asked themselves anyway "what would I do if?". We feel so sorry for him because he must be going through so much torment. The Royal Mint of a 50p coin featuring Professor Albus Dumbledore as part of a Harry Potter-themed collection. Once Robert shared with him a tin of Roses chocolates which he had poured surreptitiously into his coat pocket. There was almost total silence there apart from the sound of shoes on the ground. His mother cared about him. 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. The questioning was calm, steady, even playful at the beginning to try to get a sense the two boys really did know the difference between right and wrong. Keep them apart or he'll get into trouble, they said. 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. Robert's feelings towards his half-brother also appear to have been ambivalent - he told police he would not have murdered James Bulger because 'if I wanted to kill a baby, I'd kill my own, wouldn't I?'. UK news in pictures 15 February 2023. James Bulger would now be weeks away from his 23rd birthday. They went on family outings together, slept together, and when Susan did find a place, virtually coexisted between the two homes. What a horror it all was. The couple was financially strained from the start, but Ann did what she could to make it work. 'I thought he was all right,' said Boy B, as he was known in court - Jon Venables. A day later she would face much worse. It was when Jon turned seven that Susan and the children had relocated to Norris Green, one of Liverpools larger, more reputable areas. The only sign he was discomforted by hearing it was a near constant pulling of his tongue in his hands. 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. He would call people names and get them to chase him. But he liked collecting trolls, little doll-like creatures with ugly faces and spiky fluorescent hair. Then, one Friday in February, they discovered a new rule to break: they murdered a two-year-old. 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. I cant believe people find excuses for these murderers. Robert's mother agreed with her son's assessment: 'Name one family in the area who would have a good word for us.'. Three days later his body was found, and three days after that a tip-off came from a shopkeeper who had seen two boys playing truant on the day James went missing and gave police two names - Jon Venables and Robert Thompson. Most of the fun revolved around shoplifting - sweets, trolls, pepperami, tins of modelling paint, drinks, candles; anything, really. "All he said when we've said 'Why didn't you run away?' The other shops in the area were also armoured with mesh, including the Red Garden chipper where Robert used to pop in with his brothers most nights for a 25p bag of chips. 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. I would say he was provoked. Online Marketing For Your Business JON Venables's family was far from affluent, but it was not as close to the breadline as Robert's. This would have been at about 5.30pm - just the time the boys were about to begin killing Jamie. 'I can't read hard words,' he said. 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.