Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Parents of Jon Venables and Robert Thompson talk about their sons, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. This would have made little Robert the target of the fourth Thompson brother, who, in less than a years time, had confessed to arson, tried to stab his elder brother in a fit of rage, and had allegedly committed a lewd act against two small children (this incident was overlooked due to lack of evidence; however, because it was always considered a likely possibility that little Robert had been the victim of sexual abuse himself, and since Robert reportedly confirmed this years later, this occurrence involving his elder brother might be thought particularly revealing). He appears to be a normal human, but inside the soft flesh there is indestructable metal. We still think the same of him as we always have. The reaction prompted James' mum Denise Fergus to let supporters know she had nothing to do with the programme. Maybe it was that incident that put the idea into Jon or Robbie's head to 'get a little boy lost'. 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. 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. I have cried for JamesBulgermany times, so God only knows the tears his parents and family have shed. ", 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.". The living versions on the floor of the court looked equally wrinkled and austere. In the mean time, Susan, finding her new living conditions insufferable, soon decided to move back in with Neil until she could find another place of her own. 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. 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. Wiping away tears, he went on: 'I feel for that family. Nature. Not really?. 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. But now and again. 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.'. si fs. He would often have to stay in class at break times to catch up. On November 24, 1993, the two boys, by then aged 11, became the youngest defendants to be sentenced for murder in a British court. Robert had eaten too many and felt sick. The Royal Mint of a 50p coin featuring Professor Albus Dumbledore as part of a Harry Potter-themed collection. Ultimately, however, the couples indifferences led to separation, and they were eventually divorced in 1986. The family was put up in a hostel temporarily and later relocated by the social services. They saw it with their eyes. A newspaper man from Detroit said it was because 'Liverpool is the Beatles and love, love, love. We will never be able to do the fun things any more . With Neil seldom in contact with Susan or the children during this time, Susan was forced to contend with Jons escalating troubles alone, sometimes taking her own frustrations out on the children. And there were rewards for breaking rules. 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. DAVID James Smith, who visited Mrs Thompson at one of her secret homes, reveals that it was a sad existence. It is not known whether the boy watched any of his father's adult movies. Look at mine. Both had a need to attract attention, which they achieved through a host of petty rebellions. It was not until much later, when questioned as to his involvement in the death of James Bulger, that Roberts resentment towards the new baby became suddenly and painfully apparent. The atmosphere in the courtroom was oppressive as the tension of a month was about to break. . While, on the face of it, there doesnt appear to be as much external devastation present in Jons family history as in Roberts, his outlandish behavior suggested that internally, Jon was in a state of extreme emotional upset. and things like that is that he was frightened. In all, they played truant four times. On the days he was at school he had a knack for stirring things up. Jon was afraid of her. Neil Venables, 40, said he felt "just devastated, thinking of that little boy'. Witness after witness who had seen them, or stopped and asked them what was going on, took the stand. This would have put Jon in a particularly arduous position, as the couples only excelling child, and as author Gitta Sereny observed from her time spent with the Venables in 1994, forcing this middle child, Jon, for a long time, perhaps unconsciously, to compensate his mother for her two problem children, put an enormous weight of responsibility on this child virtually from the time he was born., As Susan struggled to manage her two disadvantaged children day to day, Neil was the familys breadwinner, working as a forklift driver. 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. I would say he was provoked. fn ye vw la. Jon, who had the most trouble sleeping, appeared fearful of Susan, and was terrified, above all, of her condemnation. 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. It seems likely that he was bullied. Facebook gives people the power. 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. The distress of one woman who had come agonisingly close to taking James by the hand herself to a police station, only to be hoodwinked by Thompson and Venables that they were doing just that. Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, both 10, murdered him in cold blood. That was in September 1991, 17 months before they killed James Bulger. Unemployment levels were more than twice the national average in Walton. He was too scared to be naughty on his own. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Heck, we don't even have murderers that young in New York.'. "He tends to be a bit hyperactive so his concentration did go a bit, but apart from that he is quite bright, no worries.". 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. Lady Penelope was his favourite character because she was rich, followed by Brains with the glasses. The judge, in sentencing the boys yesterday, voiced his strong suspicion that exposure to violent videos had played a strong part in corrupting them. 'Just mad. For a start, there were only three children, of whom Jon was the middle. "I don't think we went wrong as parents at all. In the business world, too many people think it's all about being hard, tough, ambitious, or having grit. Neil explained to him that the school they attended was special, and that Jon wouldnt be accepted. 'When you have got people in the area threatening to blow your kneecaps off every moment of the day - that's just the way they are. "My heart really goes out to them. Depressed, Ann began drinking heavily and was taking narcotics which caused her to hallucinate. From a distance Robert looked a sweet child. fun to be with". Keep them apart or he'll get into trouble, they said. Celestial. On many occasions, Susan was observed physically and verbally assaulting Jon. 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?'. This would have been at about 5.30pm - just the time the boys were about to begin killing Jamie. 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. That means he is currently 35-years-old. He was in great distress' And what about the little, innocent boy he killed??! Recently, I dug out my old notebooks of the trial and my handwriting during the verdicts says it all. Anne Thompson could hold her drink and no one ever saw her staggering home. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. After spending just eight years in custody, Britain's youngest killers were released and given lifetime anonymity in the UK. 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. ql zo. He always had plenty of friends. It was this empowering chemistry between them that some argued set into motion the life-altering events that would devastate a family, challenge a community, and rock a nations core in the disquieting months that followed. One could draw some parallels between the film's plot and James Bulger's death. They fled the city, never to return. 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. I would say he was provoked. Susan Venables Facebook: susan.venables.9 Lives in Mellor, Blackburn With Darwen, . But that is the common lot of thousands of 10-year-olds who have not turned into murderers. Such a childish voice. 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. A smell of bleach lingered on some of the tiled steps that led up to the front doors. Find out more, The latest offers and discount codes from popular brands on Telegraph Voucher Codes, As James Bulger killer Jon Venables is sent back to prison, Shelagh Fogarty writes about her experiences as a young reporter on the case at the time, James Bulger, aged 2 years old, being led away in the New Strand shopping centre in the Bootle area of Liverpool, Denise Bulger arrives at Preston Crown Couty on November 24 1993, Shelagh Fogarty was a young reporter at the time of the murder, The police van carrying Venables and Thompson arrives at Preston Crown Court, Sarah Ferguson exclusive: Meghan has made Harry very happy, 32 best gifts for her: top present ideas to buy for mother's day in 2023, Midlife women are being told to sit down and shut up and not just by men, Imogen Stubbs: Its become less and less acceptable to age, Cost of HRT set to be slashed in new prescription scheme, Magic Mike and the naked truth about male strippers, Inside the James Bulger files 25 years on. Could they have planned to do it in advance? 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. 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. . the street. For me, though, it is Susan and Neil Venables who stay most in my memory of that day. It was the kind of family neighbours compare themselves against and then feel better. 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. The attitude when you live where we live is that you have to be tough or else you dont survive, she said. 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?". 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! The beginnings of the friendship were inauspicious enough. 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. Venables and Thompson were seen on CCTV calmly leading the toddler out of the shopping centre by his hand. 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'.". Walton Village Financial Services would lend you pounds 300 for Christmas and demand a total of pounds 460 in repayment. As their sweet voices rang around the courtroom, Venables hid his face in his oversized blazer and cried. Sometimes Robert would sag off on his own, but it was more fun with a friend. Jon had to be pulled off the boy, who had gone red in the face, by a teacher who described the incident as the worst case of school violence she had witnessed. . What happened to James Bulger? Once the jury retired, so did the journalists - but we didnt go far. Robert is not believed to have reoffended - Venables has been convicted twice since being set free. Robert said 'If you tell anybody I'll get my big brother to batter you up'. Mrs Venables described how she searched for Jon. 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. 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. They were drawn to one another quickly. His mates called him a girl because whenever there was something on his mind he sucked his thumb. 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. March 10, 2021 - 20:29 GMT Eve Crosbie. But his progress took a nose dive in September 1991 when he was transferred into another class. One of Anns sons claimed that Ann, too, had beaten them with sticks, and had struck one of the boys with a cane. One time they sagged off with Robert's younger brother, which went disastrously wrong. In the last few years she stopped drinking in the Top House and tried to keep things together. He was a loyal fan, though he did not go often to Goodison Park. Thompson got better opportunities there than if hed been walking the streets in Walton, says the author. Hope. Jon's first year after he was moved was relatively successful. Truanting, or 'sagging off', had become a way of life for Robert. Twenty-five years on, Im still prone to hot tears at the memory of it all and I do question the trial. What a horror it all was. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. 'He always seemed perfectly well behaved and I think he looked on me as some kind of grandma. Jon lived in terror of losing his mother's love, yet he was also terrified of her. He said that on the day James was killed, when he went to the school in the afternoon to collect Jon he was told his son was missing. 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. Denise Bulger believes her son's murderers - men now - should be in prison for ever. . ", Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Robert Thompson was born to Robert Sr. and Ann Thompson on the 23rd day of August 1982, in Liverpool, England. She also had to stay strong for the remaining children. Ironically, the relationship between mother and son improved when he, was behind bars. Susan opted to remove him from the school then, and some months later, she reenrolled him in St. Marys in Walton. '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. Born 10 days apart in August 1982 in Liverpool. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (second left) and Scottish Secretary Alister Jack (second right) during a visit to the Port of Cromarty Firth, Invergordon, during a two day visit to Scotland to highlight the benefits of remaining in the United Kingdom as he seeks to counter Nicola Sturgeon's push for independence, King Charles reacts as he visits the Aboyne and Mid Deeside Community Shed in Scotland, There are only a handful of images of Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in, Please refresh your browser to be logged in, 'Jon was weak and was provoked': Parents of Jamie Bulger killers speak, Extra 20% off selected fashion and sportswear at Very, Up to 20% off & extra perks with Booking.com Genius Membership, $6 off a $50+ order with this AliExpress discount code, 10% off selected orders over 100 - eBay discount code, Compare broadband packages side by side to find the best deal for you, Compare cheap broadband deals from providers with fastest speed in your area, All you need to know about fibre broadband, Best Apple iPhone Deals in the UK March 2023, Compare iPhone contract deals and get the best offer this March, Compare the best mobile phone deals from the top networks and brands. Haunting CCTV footage shows the pair leading the tiny, trusting boy . This time, curiosity took the upper hand: 'I wanted to see what it was like,' he said. Bird Pictures. The old wood panelled courtroom is small. Less thanfive hours laterthe verdicts were in. He was fearful, he was weak and he was provoked. Hyperactive children can't sit still all day,' Mrs Venables said. When the court was played Jon's taped descriptions of how they had truanted they simultaneously smiled. Resentful of her husbands lack of involvement with the children, Susan conceded that the couple fought constantly, especially throughout 1983, but maintained that Neil had never been aggressive towards her, nor had she hit him. 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. But talking in 1993, his mother tried to explain how her child turned into a murderer.