INSIDE the court sat the two boys, dwarfed by the weight and majesty of the place. Boy A - Robert Thompson - was the shorter and more rounded of the two. . In contrast he has had no contact with his father despite an approach soon after sentencing. Take him home, the officer would say to her. The atmosphere in the courtroom was oppressive as the tension of a month was about to break. The Swedes, French, Germans, Canadian and Americans had all come to gaze at Liverpool's child killers. One police officer described how Jon Venables was so small, his legs were swinging. Susan Venable - we found 141 people search records: 55 CVs and social profiles with photos, 50 addresses & phone numbers, 1 real estate objects, 6 Susan Venable's cars, 2 companies. 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. This time, curiosity took the upper hand: 'I wanted to see what it was like,' he said. At the end of the street a mesh wire frame coverered the window of the money lenders. He was given a new name, a job and a flat on his release to try to ensure his security . There is, like, a little paint factory. has prompted a public outcry for an investigation into issues surrounding the case. 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. He wore his dark hair short, almost a crew cut, which accentuated his ample forehead and blunt nose. He began telling his father that he believed his parents loved his brother and sister more than they did him, and, at one point, implored his father to send him to school with his siblings. School had no hold on him - there was no corporal punishment or other form of penalty that touched him. Friday 12th February 1993. Whatever problems she had in her own life, she was always there. 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. She got her drinking under control and began giving her murderer son the attention he. 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. Forensic and pathology evidence was a huge challenge for everyone, not least the jury who were shown pictures of James' injuries. It would be a week before we heard their voices, in hours of taped police interviews, They stopped us all in our tracks. His mother gave him pocket money to buy them. King Charles III shakes hands with Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky as he welcomes at Buckingham Palace, in London, ahead of an audience during his first visit to the UK since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Liked by susan venables. Jon Venables said the class teacher tried to entice Robert by offering him a prize for a week's continual attendance - he did, but the prize never came. portrayed him as the leader and evil one, says James Smith. The taunts upset Jons already volatile temper, and he began coming home in increasingly low spirits and crying. The couple, who are living together again after a partial separation, said their feelings towards Jon had not changed despite the terrible crime.
'Jon was fearful, weak, and he was provoked': Parents of boys who The petition, that now has 14,682 signatures, reads: "We want a Public Inquiry into the James Bulger murder case. From their point of view it makes perfect sense. After a while the 10-year-olds began to charge - a tenner an interview. He was fearful of the other boy. Not that he had any need to borrow his dad's. 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. The most startling moment of the trial came when, in lieu of giving evidence in person, the boys' taped interviews with police - recorded just after their arrest - were played in court. She was a woman as large in personality and physique as the burdens she carried. 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. He caused me such anxiety, the teacher later recalled of Jon in a statement given to the Merseyside police. I don't think so. UK news in pictures 15 February 2023. ", Her husband, Neil, said: "If you had a league table of children, you would put him at the bottom of the list for anything like this.". That's the thing that upsets me because obviously where I was standing poor little James must have been not. The teacher had a different perspective, saying that Susan was in fact aware of the issue, and had expressed deep concern. I made notes of the pathologists evidence. He would often have to stay in class at break times to catch up. ROBERT had a reputation in the neighbourhood for being a troublemaker. The haunting words of Jon Venables' parents only interview have resurfaced, twenty five years after he killed tot Jamie Bulger. 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. 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.
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. I have lost my son as well. It is time to examine all this.". View the profiles of people named Susan Venables. 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 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. I don't think they understood he was hyperactive. After spending just eight years in custody, Britain's youngest killers were released and given lifetime anonymity in the UK. Spidery and messy. The Venables decided to place her with their eldest son, in a school for children with special needs. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? That means he is currently 35-years-old. Regrettably, yet perhaps not entirely unforeseen, the cycle of abuse continued. In Jon's case, 'hyperactivity' went beyond mere fidgeting into outbursts of sudden anger and violence. We will never be able to do the fun things any more . ', A psychoanalyst and child psychotherapist comes up with yet another possible explanation.
susan and neil venables Shortly after the breakup, an accidental fire destroyed the Thompsons home, leaving Ann homeless, jobless, and with little money to support her kids. To be absolutely accurate, she had only one illusion. For weeks, she stayed in bed, not bothering to tend to the children, and when she finally did reemerge, she readily admitted she drank from morning to night, but had stopped taking the pills. You know, we just try and help him as best we can to try to come to terms with things. Although not officially entered into a witness protection programme they were given help by the authorities in finding new homes and taking on new identities. Susan, aged 36, a sharp woman . His grip was so strong that it took two people to pry Jon off of the boy. 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. It was when Jon turned seven that Susan and the children had relocated to Norris Green, one of Liverpools larger, more reputable areas. Naturaleza. Born on August 13th, 1982, Jon was the middle child of Neil and Susan Venables. Left to his own devices Jon liked to spend his playtime in fairly sedentary ways. He has never really been what you would call a sagger off school (a truant). The attitude when you live where we live is that you have to be tough or else you dont survive, she said. The boys at Dyson Hall were the object of some envy among their mates because they were given tracksuits and trainers upon arrival and went on trips to Alton Towers. 'Sometimes I told Robbie to do things so he does,' he told a police officer, with pride in his voice. The Royal Mint of a 50p coin featuring Professor Albus Dumbledore as part of a Harry Potter-themed collection. 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 were drawn to one another quickly. 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. It was on his way back to the interview room when Venables finally admitted it: "We did it. But his outbursts of anger grew worse and he was suspended for trying to throttle a boy with a ruler. fn ye vw la. 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. . "He is easily led. Ann tried to discourage this by hiding his shoes, or by taking him down to the Walton Lane police station and having the officer on duty frighten him into compliance, but to no avail. "BULL**** about 'two frightened kids whod made a terrible mistake' The tapes said they kept stoning him, even when he kept getting up. so they were put in a lower year. At his first primary school the headmistress referred him to a psychologist, noting how he used to bang his head against the classroom wall to gain attention. 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. yet, as Venables is back behind bars. "Throughout the conduct of the case there have been a number of issues that have been swept under the carpet. .".
James Bulger murder: Shelagh Fogarty remembers the trial The bird was taken to the vets where they are nursing it back to health. Their. 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. Unemployment levels were more than twice the national average in Walton. gl. Denise Bulger believes her son's murderers - men now - should be in prison for ever. ", Her husband, Neil, said: "If you had a league table of children, you would put him at the bottom of the list for anything like this.". Mrs Venables described how she searched for Jon. Lady Penelope was his favourite character because she was rich, followed by Brains with the glasses. He also liked to scare old ladies by jumping out in front of their noses. However, you will find some great articles which you can comment on right now in our Comment section. The street in which Robert lived was not untypical: a row of terraced bay windowed houses that stretched from the railway line back towards the city. He didn't want to hurt James. Shed never been back but she clearly missed Liverpool and had tried to recreate the city in her new home, he recalls. 'I couldn't hear anything,' she said. Best of all, they would spend time on the Walton railway line where Robert had built a den close to the bridge. In 1999, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the pair did not receive a fair trial and awarded costs and expenses of 29,000 to Jon Venables and 15,000 to Robert Thompson. 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. How can people defend their actions .#TheBulgerKillers.". Constantly restless, his workbooks were empty, and he would often be denied recess because he was so far behind. 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. 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. Venables served seven years of a life sentence for the 1993 murder before he was freed in June 2001, aged 18. Both had parents who had separated. A newspaper man from Detroit said it was because 'Liverpool is the Beatles and love, love, love. 'We have never really been apart,' Mrs Venables said. 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. On many occasions, Susan was observed physically and verbally assaulting Jon. By chance, the rest of Jon's family was driving past and spotted them. 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. Neston Town Council unveil plans for Good Friday Easter Market, Drivers at risk of a 1,000 fine for these simple number plate mistakes, Trip Advisor: Six best Chinese restaurants in Wirral, 'Pubs need to adapt' if they are going to survive the times ahead, Birchwood company donates huge 45,000 to children's hospice, Series of strict conditions placed on dog after Widnes attack, Xi Jinping's power grab - and why it matters, Street fighting in Bakhmut but Russia not in control, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies at 61, The children left behind in Cuba's mass exodus, Snow, Fire and Lights: Photos of the Week. "In terms of knowing what the full consequences of your actions are, you are into older childhood or adolescence. sons, were settled in council houses within easy reach of the institutions where their sons were being held. 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. 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. They and Ann Thompson, who has six other. 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?". They probably weren't out to kill someone, but they were probably out to ruin someone else's happiness. One investigating police officer said: 'You could look into the eyes of Robert and knew you were looking at evil.' But his comment sparked anger from viewers. "All he said when we've said 'Why didn't you run away?' I couldnt make any sense of it, Robert later recalled, desolately, when asked about his fathers unexpected departure. Venables on the other hand was becoming increasingly agitated in the police interviews. Gillespie, McNeilly, and Powell were sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 25 years. What happened to James Bulger? Robert always wanted to stay out late and encouraged Jon to join him. Nicola had to exchange some clothes at TJ Hughes, Denise waited nearby, watching the children. I would say he was provoked. Wiping away tears, he went on: 'I feel for that family. Another time they were saucy and asked a sales girl if she stocked 'fishy nickers'. They knew what they were doing," another wrote. Read about our approach to external linking. A day later she would face much worse. 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. My young body must have been tense with the deep anxiety that permeated every inch of that courtroom. I cant believe people find excuses for these murderers. "It was very dark and I shouted down, shouted his name. 'I thought he was all right,' said Boy B, as he was known in court - Jon Venables.
Susan Venables Profiles | Facebook . A torrent of questions erupted from the moment the grim news came out that James Bulger's body had been found on a railway line in Liverpool and the last people seen with him were two ten-year-olds, captured on grainy CCTV footage. He was jailed for two years before being granted parole again in July 2013. football, snooker, things like 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. 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Susan Venables is on Facebook. Will you tell his mum I'm sorry?". The fathers of both Robert and Jon were without work. He believes these were evil boys. Since his 14-year-old brother, Phillip , had already tried to stab him, the social services agreed. qu fy. Less thanfive hours laterthe verdicts were in. When Robert was asked what his hobby was he did not say trolls but 'skipping school'. Ann was a heavy drinker, separated from her husband, also called Robert, who had deserted the family several years earlier and did not attend court. 'I don't know,' he replied. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? 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. 'America is the land of shopping malls. Neil explained to him that the school they attended was special, and that Jon wouldnt be accepted. His mother cared about him. Express. On November 24, 1993, the two boys, by then aged 11, became the youngest defendants to be sentenced for murder in a British court. "It is hard to take in really. 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. Moments later, we were told, Jon Venables uttered the words, We did it. Mr Venables ran out of the car and grabbed him, while Robert ran off down the street laughing and shouting: 'You can't catch me.'. Some people thought they were as old as 12 or 13, but when they met they were both only 10 years old. Our feelings haven't changed towards him. They passed 36 people, with one recalling how they urged the boys to take their 'little brother' home because he was 'crying for his mummy'. He stayed away from school so often the local police called him a professional truant. Jon's first year after he was moved was relatively successful.
Chilling words of Jon Venables' parents resurface on 25th anniversary 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.
susan venables pictures Grainy CCTV footage shows them walking James away from the Strand . James' mother Denise believes they should have remained in jail for life and has tirelessly campaigned against their rights to anonymity. And now The Bulger Killers: Was Justice Done? his killers were just 10 years old and attention focused on their upbringing and dysfunctional home life. Meanwhile, Thompson has not re-offended since his release, and is believed to be in a long-term relationship with a man who knows who he really is. It is just heartbreaking.". Will you tell his Mum Im sorry?. They played a double act towards the children: his mother, Susan, aged 36, a sharp woman with a hawkish look, was the hard one. But his progress took a nose dive in September 1991 when he was transferred into another class. A maudlin ballad about Liverpool was playing in the back- ground and she was cooking the dish known as Scouse. release. "You look at him and you say to yourself, 'How could you be involved in anything like this?'" The trial though didnt, and was never designed to, shed light on how two such young children could be guilty of such sustained barbarity. Sorry, we are unable to accept comments about this article at the moment. She was living in secrecy but always felt that she was walking around with a huge sign: mother of Bulger killer, above her head. He started with Liverpool, but by the time of the murder he had switched to Blackburn Rovers. Still, despite being clearly intimidated by him, Roberts brother appeared to share a strangely intimate bond with him. Nine months later, I was one of 30 or so journalists inside Preston Crown Court when the trial began. Dudson was given a minimum term of 18 years. I would get him something like a cartoon.". 'Just mad. 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. 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. He gets upset. Our feelings haven't changed towards him. On one occasion, he said, Robert ran off down the street laughing, "You can't catch me". More often, he would pinch them from local shops. TWO BOYS. I barely need to refer to my notes to remember in great detail the events that would dominate British news for years. Maybe it was that incident that put the idea into Jon or Robbie's head to 'get a little boy lost'. rk ye. 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. I would say he was provoked. Such a childish voice. It was the kind of family neighbours compare themselves against and then feel better. It set the tone for the years ahead in which there was to be no respite from the hatred. In 2010, Meggie Atkinson, then children's commissioner for England, called for the age of criminal responsibility to be raised to 12 in light of the trial. Last week the author Angela Phillips spoke of how the gentle son of the female friend of hers turned into a fascist skinhead: 'The boy his mother wanted him to become was not man enough for the world he was forced to inhabit. 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.
The Hand that Rocks the Cradle | Killers Without Conscience Eventually, Bobby walked out on his family, but not before beating his wife one final time. During the Bulger investigation, police checked the details of 50 videos Mr Venables had hired in recent months. Read about our approach to external linking. Among the list were several horror films, including one video in which the police took special interest: Child's Play 3, a film which carries the line 'Children are consumer trainees'. 'You'd better tell the truth. 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. 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. He has had more love and attention than a lot of children I know. If I wanted to kill a baby, Id kill Id kill me own, wouldnt I?. Facebook gives people the power. Architect Shahed Saleem in the Ramadan Pavilion 2023 at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Susan Venables, mother of Jon - referred to throughout the trial as Boy B - blamed her son's 'weakness' for the murder of James Bulger, and said he was going through torment. Nature. For his parents, the fact they were children was actually a cause for hope at that point.
On countless occasions, Bobby battered his wife, once causing her to miscarry, and his temper didnt stop at his wife. Jon, who had the most trouble sleeping, appeared fearful of Susan, and was terrified, above all, of her condemnation. On Sundays he used to watch Thunderbirds. Teachers later reported that whereas the boys were manageable when separated, together their behavior worsened dramatically.