The judge, in sentencing the boys yesterday, voiced his strong suspicion that exposure to violent videos had played a strong part in corrupting them. Anne Thompson could hold her drink and no one ever saw her staggering home. kl. He has been educated. Jon Venables is demonstrably no such thing. They and Ann Thompson, who has six other. Ironically, Jon was the child who caused his parents least anxiety. "He tends to be a bit hyperactive so his concentration did go a bit, but apart from that he is quite bright, no worries.". Susan Venables, now 53, suffered from severe depres-sion and struggled with her two other children, an older son and younger daughter, who suffered learning difficulties. Robert's mother agreed with her son's assessment: 'Name one family in the area who would have a good word for us.'. She got her drinking under control and began giving her murderer son the attention he. It is time to examine all this.". 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. Architect Shahed Saleem in the Ramadan Pavilion 2023 at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. She also had to stay strong for the remaining children. Ironically, the relationship between mother and son improved when he, was behind bars. They had much in common. Jon was also mad on computers. 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. He would call people names and get them to chase him. Lawyers for the pair argued that the adult court venue and publicity made it impossible for the schoolboys to be given a fair trial. Ann Thompson and Susan and Neil Venables didn't need to imagine. The trial though didnt, and was never designed to, shed light on how two such young children could be guilty of such sustained barbarity. It was their sons picked up by detectives. 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. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Susan opted to remove him from the school then, and some months later, she reenrolled him in St. Marys in Walton. Her husband came back to Walton now and again to see his mother, but he never came to see the boys. That was in September 1991, 17 months before they killed James Bulger. Some people thought they were as old as 12 or 13, but when they met they were both only 10 years old. I would say he was provoked. 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. I have cried for JamesBulgermany times, so God only knows the tears his parents and family have shed. One woman asked how James had injured his forehead. and things like that is that he was frightened. 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. A sudden pause in the tapes and one of the officers appeared in person to describe how he asked Neil and Susan Venables to leave the room because he thought Jon wanted to tell him something. The end of the court case was not the end of course. Susan Venables is on Facebook. 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'. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. There, he is terrorising a girl. Truanting, or 'sagging off', had become a way of life for Robert. 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. But apart from his brother, Robert struggled to build friendships. WALTON, where they both lived, is, in the jargon of planning, an inner-city urban priority area; neither the best nor the worst the city has to offer. 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. He was pale in complexion and had watery brown, listless eyes. As a result of the incident, Jon's mother decided to move him to another school. Then they would hide their school satchels under a subway and set off on their adventure. How can people defend their actions .#TheBulgerKillers.". You know, we just try and help him as best we can to try to come to terms with things. His parents, Susan and Neil, accompanied him during the interview process. . Robert was number five of seven. Born on August 13th, 1982, Jon was the middle child of Neil and Susan Venables. I do believe that she feels guilty deep down for her own part in what happened., Despite the risks of discovery, the relationship is said to have contin- ued to thrive following Thompsons. Neil explained to him that the school they attended was special, and that Jon wouldnt be accepted. TWO BOYS. qu fy. He had a Game Boy console and hankered after a Sega machine, and when they played truant he would head straight for the computer game corner of Tandy's or Dixons. Three years ago, after his mother walloped him, he went to social services and asked them to put him in care. Last November he was arrested and recalled to jail on suspicion of possession of images of child sex abuse. One investigating police officer said: 'You could look into the eyes of Robert and knew you were looking at evil.' Seeing at first hand the pain of a family who have lost a toddler to an act of brutal violence is almost unbearably moving. Police respond to reporters of a swan being removed from the harbour by a drunk male before it being involved in a collision on Mutley Plain. We still think the same of him as we always have. March 10, 2021 - 20:29 GMT Eve Crosbie. Robert passed this down the line bullying his eight-year-old brother into playing truant. Child killer Mary Bell and Maxine Carr, the former girlfriend of Soham murderer Ian Huntley, are the others. Once Robert shared with him a tin of Roses chocolates which he had poured surreptitiously into his coat pocket. "One mystery surrounding the murder of James Bulger case is why the 'experts' insisted that Jon Venables was rehabilitated. Money, or his family's lack of it, preyed on his mind. She was a woman as large in personality and physique as the burdens she carried. Join Facebook to connect with Susan Venables and others you may know. DAVID James Smith, who visited Mrs Thompson at one of her secret homes, reveals that it was a sad existence. One police officer described how Jon Venables was so small, his legs were swinging. In all, they played truant four times. Neil Venables, 40, said he felt "just devastated, thinking of that little boy'. 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. Such a childish voice. Egypt. He was fearful, he was weak and he was provoked. Behind them eyes bore into them - from everyone on all sides, journalists, their parents, members of the public, and of course, theBulgerfamily. Robert always wanted to stay out late and encouraged Jon to join him. It was high- lighted by the trial judge Mr Justice Morland who said they must take moral responsibility for the terrible actions of the young killers. CCTV images revealed how James had been lured away by Thompson and Venables, who was also aged 10. . Everyone called him Chubby, because of his round, cherub's face. Now we waited. ', 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.' Scores more watched proceedings from a neighbouring office block which, for the duration of the trial, came under court jurisdiction. When Robert was asked what his hobby was he did not say trolls but 'skipping school'. "Just to let you know that even though footage was used of me on the CH4 programme, I had no part in it," she tweeted. For she added: 'But he's not a murderer.'. rk ye. 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. 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. We feel so sorry for him because he must be going through so much torment. IN their interviews with the two boys, psychiatrists could find no clues to why the boys acted so violently. The pattern of bullying among the brothers, which had been noted by the Head mistress of the boys school, appeared to descend down the line, with the eldest Thompson brother beating the one just below him in age, and that brother beating the brother below him, in turn. What a horror it all was. The Royal Mint of a 50p coin featuring Professor Albus Dumbledore as part of a Harry Potter-themed collection. Boy A - Robert Thompson - was the shorter and more rounded of the two. But viewers were shocked when experts "defended" the 10-year-old murderers saying they made "an awful mistake". Ann Thompson and Susan and Neil Venables didn't need to imagine. Thompson and Venables, now both 27 years old, are among only four individuals in the UK whose crimes are so notorious that they have been given lifelong anonymity. 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. 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. But they shouldn't have been tried in an adult court because they were still children. He wanted a Rovers strip for his birthday present. 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. He has had security with loving parents and a loving brother and sister.". ", 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.". 'They were just your average scruff - like the rest of us.'. They occasionally exchanged furtive glances. This would have been at about 5.30pm - just the time the boys were about to begin killing Jamie. "My heart really goes out to them. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Jon, who had the most trouble sleeping, appeared fearful of Susan, and was terrified, above all, of her condemnation. We have found 88 people in the UK with the name Susan Venables. '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. Robert had eaten too many and felt sick. At school Jon was considered bright enough, though he had trouble keeping up with lessons. Mrs Venables has also said that she felt. Unemployment levels were more than twice the national average in Walton. Counsel for the prosecution, Richard Henriques QC, made it clear all three elements needed to be proved for a murder conviction. In contrast he has had no contact with his father despite an approach soon after sentencing. We still dont know why. At Radio City in Liverpool the calls were coming through from Australia, New Zealand and Canada. "He is easily led. Hope. Whatever problems she had in her own life, she was always there. The base of the dock floor at Preston Crown Court had to be raised 18 inches so each boy could see over it. 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'. 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. Most of the fun revolved around shoplifting - sweets, trolls, pepperami, tins of modelling paint, drinks, candles; anything, really. In return, Jon would let Robert ride his bicycle, and from time to time he would suggest naughty deeds himself. Keep them apart or he'll get into trouble, they said. Robert Thompson was born to Robert Sr. and Ann Thompson on the 23rd day of August 1982, in Liverpool, England. Mrs Venables described how she searched for Jon. But curiosity drew him towards Robert in equal measure. Every day the public gallery was packed with students, pensioners, mothers, teenagers, all drawn to the courtroom spectacle as to a TV soap. He has had his holidays like everyone else. On one occasion, he said, Robert ran off down the street laughing, "You can't catch me". She found it hard bringing the kids up in the neighbourhood. A newspaper man from Detroit said it was because 'Liverpool is the Beatles and love, love, love. ROBERT had a reputation in the neighbourhood for being a troublemaker. He would often have to stay in class at break times to catch up. It should certainly be moved up to 12; in some European countries it is 14," she said. Jon's parents said they talked to their son about James after he was arrested, but had to stop. He was always getting prizes for maths at school. "An awful mistake for 10 year olds is shoplifting not murdering a 2 year old FFS," another angry viewer tweeted. Walton Village Financial Services would lend you pounds 300 for Christmas and demand a total of pounds 460 in repayment. The government will be required to respond within 14 days if as the petition achieves more than 100,000 signatures. They deal with drugs, they deal with everything. 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. He denied having had any films that were not mainstream, or that were pornographic, in the house. 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. Once he stole decorating borders from a DIY shop which he discarded at regular intervals to mark his way home. Venables and Thompson abducted, tortured and killed two-year-old James in Liverpool in 1993 when they were both aged just 10. By chance, the rest of Jon's family was driving past and spotted them. This time we came together in shock and disbelief. He was also given 'respite care' - six weekly weekend breaks to relieve the family of the burden of looking after him. 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. The two bumped into each other - literally - in the school playground in the middle of a fight. 'I didn't know it would be like this,' Mr Venables said with hindsight. Venables, who was said to have been subjected to regular beatings by his mother Susan, titled the drawing 'My Dads house'. 'I think it has something to do with a hatred of vulnerability and babyness in themselves which they projected on to this toddler.'. Join Facebook to connect with Susan Venables and others you may know. 'In my opinion he was victimised. - a grey heron in Asawn, Southern Egypt. There is hatred and envy directed at the baby - a wish to see it suffer in the way they have suffered. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Both had a need to attract attention, which they achieved through a host of petty rebellions. cl gz. The officer who questioned Venables took the stand and explained how he had asked Susan Venables to absent herself from the next session as her presence was now inhibiting her son from telling the truth. Will you tell his mum I'm sorry?". They knew what they were doing," another wrote. But he is not a murderer. 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. He would go to bed. 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. James Bulger would now be weeks away from his 23rd birthday. In the autumn term of 1992, Robert played truant for 49 half days and Jon for 40. That's the thing that upsets me because obviously, where I was standing poor little James must have been not far . The fathers of both Robert and Jon were without work. But. He was in great distress' And what about the little, innocent boy he killed??! He used to be bullied by other children for being so behind, and would return home at night visibly upset. I made notes of the pathologists evidence. 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. fun to be with". 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! Grainy CCTV footage shows them walking James away from the Strand . Just having a bit of shade!! A heartstopping moment came when the playing of the tapes in court was paused. He frequented local cinemas and regularly hired videos for the night. Such pleasantries were not for Robbie. Aged 10, he was barely literate. Express. . Mrs Thompson claimed she had been the victim of revenge attacks after her identity became known. ANN THOMPSON, the mother of Robert Thompson, child A, says her son is a thief, a liar, is devious and plays truant. The documentary on the James Bulger murder case sparked anger after viewers criticised the Channel 4 show for "sympathising" with the toddler's killers. He gets upset. But now and again. They were drawn to one another quickly. Robert is not believed to have reoffended - Venables has been convicted twice since being set free. They deal with drugs, they deal with everything. One neighbour said she always let him into her home whenever his mother was out. 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. The sunrises through the sea mist over the sculpture The Couple by Sean Henry at Newbiggin-by-the-Sea on the Northumberland coast. It is just heartbreaking.". The Crown Prosecution Service released a statement in January confirming Venables had been charged. Forensic and pathology evidence was a huge challenge for everyone, not least the jury who were shown pictures of James injuries. The bird was taken to the vets where they are nursing it back to health. Since his 14-year-old brother, Phillip , had already tried to stab him, the social services agreed. 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. Robert would give Jon presents of stolen objects: trolls, of course, toy terrapins, sweets. "It is hard to take in really. 'I thought he was all right,' said Boy B, as he was known in court - Jon Venables. From the start, Jon was drawn and repulsed by Robbie like opposite and equal poles of a magnet. Susan Venables has blamed weakness for her sons role in the killing of James Bulger, claiming that he got involved with the wrong person. His body, defiled and broken in two by a train, two miles from where hed been taken, was foundtwo days later. Just seeing the size of them that first time, the childish figures they naturally were, caught my breath. UK news in pictures 15 February 2023. At the end of the street a mesh wire frame coverered the window of the money lenders. 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. Although Susan couldnt recall any dramatic change in Jons behavior, his teachers there expressed some concern that Jon had become upset and difficult following the separation. But Robert was stuck in Walton with his older brothers and the baby. release. To widespread dismay and condemnation from the Bulger family, the killers were given new identities, courtesy of the taxpayer. Teachers hold placards as they shout slogans while taking part in a protest organised in Manchester as part of a national strike day.
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