Jobs were few and far between. As a result of the incident, Jon's mother decided to move him to another school. Now we waited. "All he said when we've said 'Why didn't you run away?' Regrettably, yet perhaps not entirely unforeseen, the cycle of abuse continued. Most of the fun revolved around shoplifting - sweets, trolls, pepperami, tins of modelling paint, drinks, candles; anything, really. Weeping, she said: 'I wasn't actually on the railway track because there is a fence, but I went up the side. "'It wasnt fair to interview him. Only a handful of officials and close family members know their true identities. It is time to examine all this.". Just having a bit of shade!! But curiosity drew him towards Robert in equal measure. He was jailed for two years before being granted parole again in July 2013. Ann, desperate to escape the physical and emotional torment of living with her drunken father, was married to Robert, Sr. in December 1971, on the day of her eighteenth birthday. Teachers later reported that whereas the boys were manageable when separated, together their behavior worsened dramatically. Birds. 'He always seemed perfectly well behaved and I think he looked on me as some kind of grandma. Express. Venables and Thompson were seen on CCTV calmly leading the toddler out of the shopping centre by his hand. The living versions on the floor of the court looked equally wrinkled and austere. Ann Thompson and Susan and Neil Venables didn't need to imagine. Toddler James Bulger disappeared on February 12 1993. After spending just eight years in custody, Britain's youngest killers were released and given lifetime anonymity in the UK. '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. Keep them apart or he'll get into trouble, they said. She said that Jon was always "loving, caring, thoughtful and considerate . Venables parents were divorced but still lived within a stones throw of one another and were both involved in their sons upbringing. Ironically, Jon was the child who caused his parents least anxiety. 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. The fathers of both Robert and Jon were without work. We feel so sorry for him because he must be going through so much torment. I didnt connect the dots until much later on. 'You'd better tell the truth. 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. We are proud to endorse the COP27 Leather Manifesto. Verdict day came. Venables served seven years of a life sentence for the 1993 murder before he was freed in June 2001, aged 18. So much happened whilst I was there involving Jon. There is, like, a little paint factory. Her husband came back to Walton now and again to see his mother, but he never came to see the boys. On one occasion one of Anns sons let his real name slip at school and they had to move almost at once, says. He says 'I know, Mum'. They were sent home to their mother at one point, but after attempting suicide with overdoses, were placed back into care. He's quite bright and clever. He carried books on wrestling and wildlife in his school bag. Mrs Venables walked around the area for hours, searching for him. The citys worst instincts produced the wrongful hounding of a family whose sons people decided were responsible. I have cried for JamesBulgermany times, so God only knows the tears his parents and family have shed. 'I thought he was all right,' said Boy B, as he was known in court - Jon Venables. 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. 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. has prompted a public outcry for an investigation into issues surrounding the case. 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. "We are committed to driving sustainability in the leather industry, through the commitment of. Look at mine. Both Ann and the children knew well the sting of palm against flesh, and Bobby often used these beatings to ensure that his wife and children conformed. 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. And now The Bulger Killers: Was Justice Done? Take him home, the officer would say to her. At 2:30 they went to the two-story shopping centre. 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. It is here, of course, that Jon met and made friends with fellow eccentric, Robert Thompson. Sitting in the new class was a chubby boy with a cherub's face - Robert Thompson. Thompson did what he often did, looked around, grabbing clumsily at his tongue. Our feelings haven't changed towards him. The two had an aberrant relationship with one another, in the sense that it was almost as though they had never divorced. He said he was frightened of Robert's older brother. Jon breaks into hysteria whenever the subject is mentioned. He was too scared to be naughty on his own. TWO BOYS. Words with the drawing, full of spelling mistakes and grammatical. ', They sagged off in the afternoon and walked around the shops in County Road, near Walton. Wiping away tears, he went on: 'I feel for that family. INSIDE the court sat the two boys, dwarfed by the weight and majesty of the place. 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.. Best of all, they would spend time on the Walton railway line where Robert had built a den close to the bridge. Forensic and pathology evidence was a huge challenge for everyone, not least the jury who were shown pictures of James' injuries. They saw it with their eyes. By then, Robert and Jon had abducted James Bulger from the Strand and attempted to drown him in the nearby canal. Fiction Writing. 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. It is claimed that taxpayers could have to fork out another 250,000 to provide a new life when he is eventually released. He denied having had any films that were not mainstream, or that were pornographic, in the house. In March 2010, Venables was recalled to prison for downloading and distributing more than 100 images of child abuse. What doing well means is anybodys guess. Child killer Mary Bell and Maxine Carr, the former girlfriend of Soham murderer Ian Huntley, are the others. Look at mine. ANN THOMPSON, the mother of Robert Thompson, child A, says her son is a thief, a liar, is devious and plays truant. 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'.". Mr Venables said: "He wouldn't watch horror. 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. re bz. To do that he put on the witness stand all those people who had seen the three boys on the route from the shopping centre to the railway line. 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. James' mother Denise believes they should have remained in jail for life and has tirelessly campaigned against their rights to anonymity. She was prone to hysteria and hailed from a 'strict and disciplined' background. ', A psychoanalyst and child psychotherapist comes up with yet another possible explanation. His body, defiled and broken in two by a train, two miles from where hed been taken, was foundtwo days later. A police officer remembered Venables being so small that his legs didn't touch the floor as he sat in the custody office after his arrest. Susan Venables, mother of Jon, blamed her son's "weakness" for the killing and said he was "fearful" and "provoked" by his accomplice Robert Thompson. fn ye vw la. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? Thompson, who gained five GCSEs and A-levels in design and technology, is said to have developed an interest in theatre. 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. Ann denied the physical abuse, but later admitted to being cruel to the boys at times. The Royal Mint of a 50p coin featuring Professor Albus Dumbledore as part of a Harry Potter-themed collection. It's high time they were investigated. My young body must have been tense with the deep anxiety that permeated every inch of that courtroom. . At Preston Crown Court Thompsons mother Ann and Venables parents Neil and Sue sat side by side. Once he stole decorating borders from a DIY shop which he discarded at regular intervals to mark his way home. That seems the very least they could face for what they did. She said that Jon was always "loving, caring, thoughtful and considerate . But his comment sparked anger from viewers. He was jailed for two years before being granted parole again in July 2013.. "Contrary to what the papers will tell you, he is not a little urchin boy. It was on his way back to the interview room when Venables finally admitted it: "We did it. I have lost my son as well. Susan Venables Facebook: susan.venables.9 Lives in Mellor, Blackburn With Darwen, . Murder of James Bulger. The atmosphere in the courtroom was oppressive as the tension of a month was about to break. His body was found two days later on a railway line. David James Smith, who wrote a book about the Bulger case, The Sleep Of Reason, and stayed in touch with Ann Thompson afterwards. "Youngsters are usually tried in a youth court, [Thompson and Venables] were tried in an adult court. "You look at him and you say to yourself, 'How could you be involved in anything like this?'" Robert had asked once before but Jon, who had rarely truanted in his previous school, was scared and said no.