Hyperactive children can't sit still all day,' Mrs Venables said. fun to be with" and always had plenty of friends. He said he was frightened of Robert's older brother. I know how I feel as a mother. 'They were just your average scruff - like the rest of us.'. fn ye vw la. 'I was the softie,' Neil Venables said. He once came to me crying saying the other boys were picking on him, trying to steal his bike.'. Read about our approach to external linking. Robert had asked once before but Jon, who had rarely truanted in his previous school, was scared and said no. I would get him something like a cartoon.". INSIDE the court sat the two boys, dwarfed by the weight and majesty of the place. she said. I just think of James and his Dad and about all that fun with his little boy, like I had with Jon.". They had much in common. Not for long though. I didnt, did I? she said to Neil during their interview with Gitta Sereny. His father, thin and balding, had a much gentler edge. They would hang around the video shop in Walton Village where the shop girl was pleased to have their company. Jon was also mad on computers. We still think the same of him as we always have. Some people thought they were as old as 12 or 13, but when they met they were both only 10 years old. That means he is currently 35-years-old. Fiction Writing. By chance, the rest of Jon's family was driving past and spotted them. Join Facebook to connect with Susan Venables and others you may know. 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. 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. View the profiles of people named Susan Venables. 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. In any case, the couple drifted together, and in 1983, just fifteen months succeeding Jons birth, Susan gave birth to their third child, a daughter. Express. 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. David James Smith, who wrote a book about the Bulger case, The Sleep Of Reason, and stayed in touch with Ann Thompson afterwards. My young body must have been tense with the deep anxiety that permeated every inch of that courtroom. Both were banned from ever returning to Liverpool and given new identities at a reported cost of 1.5million. Ironically, Jon was the child who caused his parents least anxiety. Other parents came in to complain about attention seeking. He is broken- hearted over it. One time they sagged off with Robert's younger brother, which went disastrously wrong. She said that Jon was always "loving, caring, thoughtful and considerate . 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. He appears to be a normal human, but inside the soft flesh there is indestructable metal. Facebook gives people the power. Walton Village Financial Services would lend you pounds 300 for Christmas and demand a total of pounds 460 in repayment. 'We have never really been apart,' Mrs Venables said. The primary concern among the faculty was Roberts growing amount of absences. In Jon's case, 'hyperactivity' went beyond mere fidgeting into outbursts of sudden anger and violence. 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. He liked to spend the weekend on the streets. TWO BOYS. His parents say he is 'broken-hearted'. Our feelings haven't changed towards him. On the walls hung oil paintings of local judges and magistrates, their surfaces crinkled with age. Two boys who forged a friendship out of breaking the rules. The left will make play of social deprivation, unemployment, bad housing and general inner-city rot. Behind them eyes bore into them - from everyone on all sides, journalists, their parents, members of the public, and of course, theBulgerfamily. Since the murder Robert has been in a state of post-traumatic shock, hounded by nightmares and flashbacks from the railway tracks. Thompson admitted nothing. It was their sons picked up by detectives. His mother called him hyperactive since, even more than his friend, he was scarcely able to sit still. 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. Mrs Venables walked around the area for hours, searching for him. 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. 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.. Its beyond me," one viewer tweeted. Such pleasantries were not for Robbie. re bz. Just four years earlier, we had all covered the Hillsborough disaster and come together in grief. 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. On the 20 year anniversary of the murder of James Bulger, BBC Radio 5 Live's Shelagh Fogarty recalls the trial of his young killers. He was pale in complexion and had watery brown, listless eyes. The beginnings of the friendship were inauspicious enough. 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. yet, as Venables is back behind bars. It is about a Good Guy doll invaded by the spirit of a mass murderer who kills people in gruesome ways. "My heart really goes out to them. When the fisticuffs ended, impressed by each other's performance, they made friends. He was too scared to be naughty on his own. 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. In the last few years she stopped drinking in the Top House and tried to keep things together. The case is doomed to be picked over by every faction within the caring professionals and politics. He is one of those children that if you told him to put his hand in the fire, he would. 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. 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. They played a double act towards the children: his mother, Susan, aged 36, a sharp woman with a hawkish look, was the hard one. He would often have to stay in class at break times to catch up. They have never come out of hiding. As the paedophile killer pleaded guilty on Wednesday to possessing more than 1,000 indecent images of children and a "paedo manual" - his parents words on their son's involvement make disturbing reading. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. She would arrive at the secure unit with food parcels and is said to be proud of his achievements since the crime. Mrs Venables described how she searched for Jon. The first time he asked Jon to play truant with him was last September, only weeks after they had become friends. James Bulger would now be weeks away from his 23rd birthday. MOST of the boys were bright. Susan Venabless bent body shrank deeper into itself. everyone blamed Thompson and. So, when he first began his association with classmate Jon Venables, in September 1992, Robert was happy to have finally befriended a boy like Jon, who could almost always be persuaded to follow in his lead. Susan Venables Facebook: susan.venables.9 Lives in Mellor, Blackburn With Darwen, . Jon, who had the most trouble sleeping, appeared fearful of Susan, and was terrified, above all, of her condemnation. Sorry, we are unable to accept comments about this article at the moment. I didnt connect the dots until much later on. 2023 BBC. I made notes of the pathologists evidence. The pair were handed new identities after being released from prison. 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. He was jailed for two years before being granted parole again in July 2013. The final scene takes place among the tracks of a fun-fair ghost train where the doll, which resembles an infant with spiky hair has his face slashed before he is cut to pieces by a ventilator fan. "He is easily led. For his parents, the fact they were children was actually a cause for hope at that point. Join Facebook to connect with Susan Venables and others you may know. Then there were the separated parents, the poverty, the truanting, the videos. He is far from it. In return, Jon would let Robert ride his bicycle, and from time to time he would suggest naughty deeds himself. 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. That's the thing that upsets me because obviously, where I was standing poor little James must have been not far . A day later, when James still hadnt been found, it was clear from CCTV footage that he had been taken by children. the street. Money, or his family's lack of it, preyed on his mind. Last November he was arrested and recalled to jail on suspicion of possession of images of child sex abuse. as he was known in court - Jon Venables. 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?". Her warnings arent being heeded, but 25 years on, I think she is probably right. We feel so sorry for him because he must be going through so much torment. Some of the red brick houses were well-kept, others had torn net curtains and grubby windows. 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. Venables served seven years of a life sentence for the 1993 murder before he was freed in June 2001, aged 18. The mayor of Preston accused them of being sick ghouls, but still they came, queuing up for tickets two hours before proceedings began. 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. They were in the Strand shopping centre in Bootle when the brother wandered off. He was fearful of the other boy. She was a happy baby, much happier than her eldest brother had been, but as she grew older, Susan began noticing that she, too, appeared lazy, and was not as advanced as Jon. The government will be required to respond within 14 days if as the petition achieves more than 100,000 signatures. Seeing at first hand the pain of a family who have lost a toddler to an act of brutal violence is almost unbearably moving. 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. Venables on the other hand was becoming increasingly agitated in the police interviews. Both had parents who had separated. Mr Venables said: "He wouldn't watch horror. When Jon's parents gave a recent press interview, it was Mrs Venables who did most of the talking; the father just sat and cried. 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. Everyone called him Chubby, because of his round, cherub's face. 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. 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. Ultimately, however, the couples indifferences led to separation, and they were eventually divorced in 1986. On the days he was at school he had a knack for stirring things up. Were they to blame? Robert passed this down the line bullying his eight-year-old brother into playing truant. Everton was his team. Englands Ollie Chessum dives in to score his sides second try during the Guinness Six Nations match at Twickenham Stadium, London, Sam Smith arrives for the Brit Awards ceremony, A robin redbreast takes flight in Dublins botanic gardens. ql zo. They were drawn to one another quickly. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? . 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. Take him home, the officer would say to her. ', Mrs Thompson had no illusions about her son: 'He's a little liar, he's devious, he's a scally, he robs, he plays truant.' She was prone to hysteria and hailed from a 'strict and disciplined' background. 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. Dudson was given a minimum term of 18 years. Between January and the day of the murder Robert had absconded 37 half days out of a possible 60 . 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. 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. Look at mine. Egypt. One police officer described how Jon Venables was so small, his legs were swinging in the air as he sat in the custody office. Eventually, Bobby walked out on his family, but not before beating his wife one final time. Could they have planned to do it in advance? The week after he walked out the family's home burned down in an accidental fire. 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. Mr Venables said that the two boys had played truant together four times before, adding that he caught them twice. He didn't want to hurt James. Aged 10, he was barely literate. During that time, Susan felt as if she was trapped and overburdened, often taking her frustrations out on her husband, who believed it was her responsibility to take care of the children, and offered her little support in the way of childrearing. 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. For me, though, it is Susan and Neil Venables who stay most in my memory of that day. "Just TV programmes and little things remind me of the good times we had together . 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 didn't know it would be like this,' Mr Venables said with hindsight. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? 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. Superintendent Albert Kirby, who headed the investigation, doesn't believe in the under-belly of Liverpool nonsense or stuff about the disintegration of modern society, the collapse of the nineties cities. 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. Without anyone in the family to turn to for support, he had to look outside for people whose swaggering aggression he could emulate. 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. We are proud to endorse the COP27 Leather Manifesto. Robert had eaten too many and felt sick. It emerged that the Venables family had suffered the same fate in another area. Once they went into a home decoration shop and hid under a pile of carpets. "Throughout the conduct of the case there have been a number of issues that have been swept under the carpet. Unemployment levels were more than twice the national average in Walton. After a while he tried to commit suicide to get back in. Another time they were saucy and asked a sales girl if she stocked 'fishy nickers'. Once he stole decorating borders from a DIY shop which he discarded at regular intervals to mark his way home. "It was very dark and I shouted down, shouted his name. ANN THOMPSON, the mother of Robert Thompson, child A, says her son is a thief, a liar, is devious and plays truant. In the years between Venabless first return to prison and this latest conviction he was deemed to be living successfully in the community, when in fact he was working out ways to dodge his internet ban and hiding a computer in his headboard in order to download abusive images of children, including what the judge described this week as serious crimes inflicted on male toddlers. 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. Few will ever forget the chilling footage of two 10-year-old boys holding a toddler's hand as they led him to his death. View the profiles of people named Susan Venables. More often, he would pinch them from local shops. The Radio Merseyside newsroom, where I was working at the time, was full and everyone was on this story one way or another. "One mystery surrounding the murder of James Bulger case is why the 'experts' insisted that Jon Venables was rehabilitated. 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. Her family were dignified throughout, but on that day one of theBulgerfamily supporters allowed themselvesa loud 'YES' as the verdicts came in. 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. 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.'. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. I would say he was provoked. The Venables decided to place her with their eldest son, in a school for children with special needs. He was given a new name, a job and a flat on his release to try to ensure his security . In March 2010, Venables was recalled to prison for downloading and distributing more than 100 images of child abuse. On countless occasions, Bobby battered his wife, once causing her to miscarry, and his temper didnt stop at his wife. 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. He always had plenty of friends. Robert is not believed to have reoffended - Venables has been convicted twice since being set free. 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. Not their punishmentand exclusion from society for the rest of their childhood. Members of the Up Helly Aa 'Jarl Squad' parade through the streets in Lerwick, Shetland Islands, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon using a camera during her visit to BBC Studioworks in Glasgow, Passersby chat with the police as they arrive to see King Charles III and the Princess Royal attend a church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, People at a vigil at Lurgan Park in Lurgan, Co Armagh in memory of murder victim Natalie McNally and opposing violence against women, Firefighters use hoses to dampen down at the scene of a fire at St Marks Church in Hamilton Terrace, St Johns Wood, London, which has been destroyed by the blaze which began in the early hours of the morning, Huskies pull their musher during a training run before this weekends annual Aviemore Sled Dog Rally, in Feshiebridge, A knitted topper celebrating Burns Night placed on a post box in Alloway, Ayrshire, Deer graze during sunrise at Ashton Court Estate, Bristol, where clear misty skies and a cold morning brings frost across parts of the south west UK, Ambulance workers on the picket line outside the Donnington Ambulance Hub, at Donnington, near Telford, Shropshire. He wanted a Rovers strip for his birthday present. On Sundays he used to watch Thunderbirds. But after a year they let Ian out again. I feel so sorry for them. It worked. From a distance Robert looked a sweet child. Shortly after the breakup, an accidental fire destroyed the Thompsons home, leaving Ann homeless, jobless, and with little money to support her kids. There, he is terrorising a girl. Nicola had to exchange some clothes at TJ Hughes, Denise waited nearby, watching the children. Kids fantasise about such things. The fathers of both Robert and Jon were without work. 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. 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. THE first time the boys set eyes on each other after they were arrested was in Preston crown court 3 1/2 weeks ago. His body, defiled and broken in two by a train, two miles from where hed been taken, was foundtwo days later. Nine months later, I was one of 30 or so journalists inside Preston Crown Court when the trial began. NEIL Venables was warned by friends not to let his son play with the other boy. 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'. Their parents entered the courtroom; The Venables arrived together, Ann Thompson came with supporters but no sign of Robert's father. He is an old-fashioned crime and punishment man. Keep them apart or he'll get into trouble, they said. Sometimes Robert would sag off on his own, but it was more fun with a friend. 'In my opinion he was victimised. Good people asked the boys if they were lost or urged them to take "their baby brother" home as he cried for his mummy. Neil Venables regarded himself as the Barry Norman of Merseyside - a film buff with a penchant for horror. By now the two boys from Walton were part of an international freak show.