Thompson was inscrutable in the dock as we heard his voice for the first time. One neighbour said she always let him into her home whenever his mother was out. School had no hold on him - there was no corporal punishment or other form of penalty that touched him. 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. Robert always wanted to stay out late and encouraged Jon to join him. Since the murder Robert has been in a state of post-traumatic shock, hounded by nightmares and flashbacks from the railway tracks. Boy A - Robert Thompson - was the shorter and more rounded of the two. Once they went into a home decoration shop and hid under a pile of carpets. 'Provided you have no court orders for debts already,' the man on the phone would add helpfully. Join Facebook to connect with Susan Venables and others you may know. Since his 14-year-old brother, Phillip , had already tried to stab him, the social services agreed. everyone blamed Thompson and. "'It wasnt fair to interview him. It's high time they were investigated. Ironically, Jon was the child who caused his parents least anxiety. This time, curiosity took the upper hand: 'I wanted to see what it was like,' he said. 'Sometimes I told Robbie to do things so he does,' he told a police officer, with pride in his voice. 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. Most people would regard such sentiments as having come rather late in the day and certainly too late to save poor James. The press were gobbling it up. Facebook gives people the power to. They and Ann Thompson, who has six other. 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. DAVID James Smith, who visited Mrs Thompson at one of her secret homes, reveals that it was a sad existence. He would throw things at other children, cut himself deliberately with scissors and stick paper all over his face. JON Venables's family was far from affluent, but it was not as close to the breadline as Robert's. But the President of the Family Division Sir Andrew McFarlane rejected the bid, saying it was in place to protect Venables from being "put to death". The living versions on the floor of the court looked equally wrinkled and austere. Just seeing the size of them that first time, the childish figures they naturally were, caught my breath. 'The attitude when you live where we live is that you have to be tough or else you don't survive,' she said. 'When the fisticuffs ended, they made friends.' One time they sagged off with Robert's younger brother, which went disastrously wrong. I got on with my job, but months later the impact of that trial had sunk in and a difficult, tearful, confusing year followed for me. Forlorn hope, though. He is one of those children that if you told him to put his hand in the fire, he would. Facebook gives people the power. Sorry, we are unable to accept comments about this article at the moment. View the profiles of people named Susan Venable. IN their interviews with the two boys, psychiatrists could find no clues to why the boys acted so violently. 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. I said no. Walton Village Financial Services would lend you pounds 300 for Christmas and demand a total of pounds 460 in repayment. Whatever problems she had in her own life, she was always there. He disliked Thunderbirds because of the puppets' 'stringy thingies'. Susan Venables agreed but on condition that she saw her son first. 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. el diablo food truck fort collins. He said he was frightened of Robert's older brother. He is an old-fashioned crime and punishment man. Just as Venables's confession convicted him, a shoe print belonging to Robert Thompson, found on James cheekbone, confirmed his guilt, too. 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. It should certainly be moved up to 12; in some European countries it is 14," she said. Every day the public gallery was packed with students, pensioners, mothers, teenagers, all drawn to the courtroom spectacle as to a TV soap. 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. During the Bulger investigation, police checked the details of 50 videos Mr Venables had hired in recent months. Mother Unavailable. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Thompson admitted nothing. Like Ann Thompson, however, both parents of Jon Venables rallied round their son and in preparationfor his release Mr Venables accom-panied him on trips to football matches. his killers were just 10 years old and attention focused on their upbringing and dysfunctional home life. Amsterdam: North-Holland Publishing Company. 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. Superintendent Kirby is a religious man. 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. They did. But both had been treated for depression and were living apart at the time of the trial. 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, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. They played truant, they pinched sweets, they terrorised old ladies. Lawyers for the pair argued that the adult court venue and publicity made it impossible for the schoolboys to be given a fair trial. TWO BOYS. It was on his way back to the interview room when Venables finally admitted it: "We did it. Cops found the vile collection on a laptop hidden behind the headboard of his bed. Will you tell his mum I'm sorry?". It seems likely that he was bullied. By then, Robert and Jon had abducted James Bulger from the Strand and attempted to drown him in the nearby canal. . They had much in common. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. On Sundays he used to watch Thunderbirds. ', They sagged off in the afternoon and walked around the shops in County Road, near Walton. A day later, when James still hadnt been found, it was clear from CCTV footage that he had been taken by children. They poured modelling paint into his eyes, stoned him and clubbed him with bricks, before leaving him on the railway line to be hit by a train. INSIDE the court sat the two boys, dwarfed by the weight and majesty of the place. He said giving him lifelong anonymity was a failed experiment and claimed the authorities could not manage him in the community. February 20 1993: John Venables and Robert Thompson Charged With Murder Of James Bulger In Liverpool ON This Day in photos - February 20 1993: John Venables and Robert Thompson (both aged 10) are charged with the abduction and murder of two-year-old James Bulger in Liverpool. "He is easily led. Heck, we don't even have murderers that young in New York.'. View our online Press Pack. More often, he would pinch them from local shops. By chance, the rest of Jon's family was driving past and spotted them. It emerged that the Venables family had suffered the same fate in another area. Thompson got better opportunities there than if hed been walking the streets in Walton, says the author. After a while the boys became used to it. 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. Chris Davies worked alongside Rodgers at Parkhead before following him to Leicester City. He was fearful of the other boy. Kids fantasise about such things. Neil Venables regarded himself as the Barry Norman of Merseyside - a film buff with a penchant for horror. Susan Venables has blamed weakness for her sons role in the killing of James Bulger, claiming that he got involved with the wrong person. Their. Is climate change killing Australian wine? Less thanfive hours laterthe verdicts were in. The former US President is expected to land in Aberdeen on Monday, he announced on his social media platform Truth Social. The shock in the city was plain to see, but it wasn't just in Liverpool that people stared at the CCTV pictures of the boy holding James' hand, while another led the way to the exit of the shopping centre where a frantic Denise Bulger would have been desperately looking for her child. Susan Venables's bent body shrank deeper into itself. He also liked to scare old ladies by jumping out in front of their noses. Susan Jane . Jon was slim in build and taller than Robert, just over five feet. 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. Venables and Thompson told passers-by that the distressed toddler was their younger brother or that he was lost and they were taking him to a local police station. "The age of criminal responsibility in this country is 10 that's too low. "They always blame the parents. 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. At school Jon was considered bright enough, though he had trouble keeping up with lessons. I barely need to refer to my notes to remember in great detail the events that would dominate British news for years. 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. Home; About; Products. I wasnt on duty that day, so the very beginnings of the story washed over me. Peacefully, aged 85. God knows how they must be feeling now.. The suspect was waiting outside Scotmid on Tullichewan Drive, Alexandria, when staff opened the doors at 7am. 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". Robert passed this down the line bullying his eight-year-old brother into playing truant. 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. THE first time the boys set eyes on each other after they were arrested was in Preston crown court 3 1/2 weeks ago. Most of the fun revolved around shoplifting - sweets, trolls, pepperami, tins of modelling paint, drinks, candles; anything, really. Apart from Jon's incident with the ruler, there had been no record of previous violence. Donald Trump to visit Scottish golf courses in first UK trip since 2019. Susan cried silently in the interview room as Jon was charged with the toddler's murder, and was eventually forced to leave Liverpool with a new identity after an avalanche of death threats. . 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. ", Neil added: "I feel for that family. James Bulgers mother Denise claims that she managed to track down Thompson six years ago, planning to confront him but instead stared at him from the opposite side of the street, full of rage but unable to act. 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?". Venables has now been caged for 40 months. Andrew Fisher, who murdered his wife in 1990, died on Friday following a battle with dementia. IN A letter to her son written soon after he was sentenced, Ann Thompson wrote: no matter what you did or didnt do, Im your mother and I will stay with you no matter what happens.. That's the thing that upsets me because obviously where I was standing poor little James must have been not. Liverpool FC Jude Bellingham transfer: . Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? susan venables Director at Juju & Co Greater Sydney Area 122 followers 114 connections Join to view profile Juju & Co Macquarie University Websites Activity Greetings from the Rajbari Bawali . 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. 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. They probably weren't out to kill someone, but they were probably out to ruin someone else's happiness. Speaking in February 2018, he said: 40 months is a joke. Great-granny Helen, who was a nurse for 40 years, does not know how long she has left after waiting on cancer treatment for five months. Many of us had dined together most nights throughout the trial, mulling it all over but distracting ourselves, too. This time we came together in shock and disbelief. Not for long though. His mother especially has been a tower of strength, says the source. Read about our approach to external linking. 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. 'In my opinion he was victimised. He had an elder brother, aged 13, and a nine-year-old sister. Get the latest Scottish crime and courts news sent straight to your inbox with our daily Criminal Record newsletter. portrayed him as the leader and evil one, says James Smith. Knowing why Venables is back behind bars is a start. Their age was hard to gauge from the CCTV images, so just when you imagined you couldnt be more shocked by this story, it emerged the two accused were just 10-years-old. What a horror it all was. It worked. One day they stayed out until 10.30pm and Jon received a severe reprimand from his mother. 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. Susan Venables agreed but on condition that she saw her son first. But he liked collecting trolls, little doll-like creatures with ugly faces and spiky fluorescent hair. Everyone called him Chubby, because of his round, cherub's face. Marcus Rashford saves 'world's sexiest footballer' Alisha Lehmann from nightclub mob. release. bellevue school district salary schedule classified. Both of them struggled at school and had been lumped into the year below their age. He started with Liverpool, but by the time of the murder he had switched to Blackburn Rovers. Recently, I dug out my old notebooks of the trial and my handwriting during the verdicts says it all. (modern). Robert would give Jon presents of stolen objects: trolls, of course, toy terrapins, sweets. fun to be with" and always had plenty of friends. They would sneak out during the morning break, hiding behind a wall before the coast was clear. "In order that justice can be done, no further details are being released at this stage and the proceedings are subject to reporting restrictions.". There was a pattern of bullying, with the older boys picking on their younger brothers down the line. Hyperactive children can't sit still all day,' Mrs Venables said. He added: "As Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss held, (Venables) is 'uniquely notorious' and there is a strong possibility, if not a probability, that if his identity were known he would be pursued resulting in grave and possibly fatal consequences. oley motorcycle swap meet 2022; target peach comforter. what is included in a uniworld river cruise; po box 72690 oakland ca 94612. Only two people can answer the question, and even their ability is doubtful. For a start, there were only three children, of whom Jon was the middle. ', 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. 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. 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'.". Claire Ainsley moved into her new home in Park Place earlier this year after waiting several years for a new home for her family. Such a childish voice. The Radio Merseyside newsroom, where I was working at the time, was full and everyone was on this story one way or another. 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. During the trial she said: "Yes, he did tell some lies, but he also told the truth about one thing from beginning to end - he did not kill that baby. Buy Keepsake. "BULL**** about 'two frightened kids whod made a terrible mistake' The tapes said they kept stoning him, even when he kept getting up. Counsel for the prosecution, Richard Henriques QC, made it clear all three elements needed to be proved for a murder conviction. The Bulger case has prompted widespread debate about how to handle young offenders when they are sentenced or released from custody. Baby who had heart surgery at two months carried over Glasgow Kiltwalk finish line by dad, Liam Campbell pushed 14-month-old Rosie in pram over three-mile route in her pram before holding her aloft for last 100 yards, BP and Shell set to announce more 'obscene' profits as energy giants rake in billions from oil. That seems the very least they could face for what they did. When they abducted, tortured, and eventually killed James, age 2, and dumped his body by a railroad track in Liverpool 25 years ago, Venables, now 40, and Robert Thompson, then 10, were both 10 years old. has prompted a public outcry for an investigation into issues surrounding the case. Her husband came back to Walton now and again to see his mother, but he never came to see the boys. READ ALSO: Susan Venables: Who Is Jon Venables' Mother?