I am not sure if in fact he was seen by the school psychologist, but I did complete a form for him.. He wanted a Rovers strip for his birthday present. 'I can't read hard words,' he said. "Throughout the conduct of the case there have been a number of issues that have been swept under the carpet. Robert said 'If you tell anybody I'll get my big brother to batter you up'. It worked. We still think the same of him as we always have. Other parents came in to complain about attention seeking. Thompson got better opportunities there than if hed been walking the streets in Walton, says the author. James Bulger: Jon Venables' identity leaked online - news Spidery and messy. Keep them apart or he'll get into trouble, they said. A heartstopping moment came when the playing of the tapes in court was paused. The family was already exhaustingly overextended, and Robert, being the fifth edition, was quick to pick up on the coping mechanisms needed to survive in a life of unremitting chaos and enmity. Fiction Writing. This happened, more often than not, at night, when they refused to go to bed when told. Jon was afraid of her. "All he said when we've said 'Why didn't you run away?' 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 stayed away from school so often the local police called him a professional truant. 'You'd better tell the truth. fn ye vw la. As a grim portrait of abuse, drunkenness and neglect emerged, the hatred and loathing for Robert Thompson and Jon Venables was also turned on their parents. The case is doomed to be picked over by every faction within the caring professionals and politics. Ian was clever enough to know that to survive he had to get out. He would throw things at other children, cut himself deliberately with scissors and stick paper all over his face. After a while he tried to commit suicide to get back in. Trauma? I wasnt on duty that day, so the very beginnings of the story washed over me. He was fearful of the other boy. Their parents entered the courtroom; The Venables arrived together, Ann Thompson came with supporters but no sign of Robert's father. Mrs Venables walked around the area for hours, searching for him. He would steal objects that he neither needed nor wanted, then chuck them away in the street. 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. The two had an aberrant relationship with one another, in the sense that it was almost as though they had never divorced. Susan Venables - People Directory - 192.com Striking members of the National Education Union (NEU) South East Region at a rally in Chichester, West Sussex, in a long-running dispute over pay, Members of the Welsh Guards replace their bearskin headress after giving three cheers during a St David's Day visit to the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards at Combermere Barracks in Windsor, Berkshire, Princess of Wales and Prince William take part in a spin class uring a visit to Aberavon Leisure and Fitness Center to meet local communities and hear about how sport and exercise can support mental health and wellbeing, in Port Talbot, Wales, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen during a press conference at the Guildhall in Windsor, Berkshire, following the announcement that they have struck a deal over the Northern Ireland Protocol, Homes sit close to the cliff edge at Hemsby in Norfolk, where the beach has been closed off because of significant erosion and the risk that homes could fall into the sea, Members of the Russian Democratic Society, a group of Russian citizens living in the UK, stage a protest outside the Russian embassy in London, to mark the one year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces enter 10 Downing Street, in London, after the National one minutes silence to mark one year since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer delivers a speech at the head office of the Co-Operative Group in Manchester, unveiling plans for a mission-led Labour government, with five national missions setting out his objectives for a Labour government if the party gains power at the next general election, Ukrainian soldiers pose with a Ukrainian flag next to a military vehicle at Bovington Camp in Dorset, Stunning colours before sunrise as people walk their dogs on Tynemouth Longsands beach in Tynemouth on the North east coast, Visitors observe Dippy the Diplodocus at the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in Coventry, where the museum will be hosting the 26-metre long replica skeleton for the next three years, Flowers, and ribbons on a bridge over the River Wyre in St Michael's on Wyre, Lancashire, where police recovered a body on Sunday, which was found by members of the public close to where Nicola Bulley disappeared on January 27, Protesters clash at a refugees welcome rally in Liverpool city centre, A Porsche 911 car is damaged by a fallen tree in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, as a result of storm Otto. At school Jon was considered bright enough, though he had trouble keeping up with lessons. 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. qu fy. Kids fantasise about such things. yet, as Venables is back behind bars. There was almost total silence there apart from the sound of shoes on the ground. I made notes of the pathologists evidence. As a new documentary is set to air on ITV, the haunting words of Jon Venables' parents have resurfaced. Most of the fun revolved around shoplifting - sweets, trolls, pepperami, tins of modelling paint, drinks, candles; anything, really. Venables and Thompson were seen on CCTV calmly leading the toddler out of the shopping centre by his hand. We feel so sorry for him because he must be going through so much torment. 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. 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. They were drawn to one another quickly. "'It wasnt fair to interview him. It's high time they were investigated. 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.'. On countless occasions, Bobby battered his wife, once causing her to miscarry, and his temper didnt stop at his wife. 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. By now the two boys from Walton were part of an international freak show. Only a handful of officials and close family members know their true identities. This story has no borders,' NBC correspondent Denis Murphy said. ', A psychoanalyst and child psychotherapist comes up with yet another possible explanation. He would often have to stay in class at break times to catch up. cl gz. . That's the thing that upsets me because obviously, where I was standing poor little James must have been not far . 'It's always our family that gets the blame,' Robert said to police after he was arrested for James's murder. The reaction prompted James' mum Denise Fergus to let supporters know she had nothing to do with the programme. S. Susan venables. What happened to James Bulger? "On the other hand, you are looking at him and you are saying 'Well, I know why - because he is so weak'. Bird Pictures. Murder of James Bulger - Wikipedia "I don't think we went wrong as parents at all. 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. What doing well means is anybodys guess. Teachers later reported that whereas the boys were manageable when separated, together their behavior worsened dramatically. He is far from it. 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. Join Facebook to connect with Susan Venables and others you may know. They played truant, they pinched sweets, they terrorised old ladies. There, he is terrorising a girl. Most people would regard such sentiments as having come rather late in the day and certainly too late to save poor James. Eventually, Bobby walked out on his family, but not before beating his wife one final time. 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. We will never be able to do the fun things any more . "It is hard to take in really. However, you will find some great articles which you can comment on right now in our Comment section. 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. Heck, we don't even have murderers that young in New York.'. How can people defend their actions .#TheBulgerKillers.". That was in September 1991, 17 months before they killed James Bulger. His mother cared about him. There was a pattern of bullying, with the older boys picking on their younger brothers down the line. 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. "All he said when we've said 'Why didn't you run away?' They rejected suggestions that he could have watched Child's Play Three, a film that his father had rented three weeks before James's death, which, it has been claimed, included scenes similar to those of the attack on the two-year-old. He caused me such anxiety, the teacher later recalled of Jon in a statement given to the Merseyside police. How could two small boys savage and leave a toddler for dead? INSIDE the court sat the two boys, dwarfed by the weight and majesty of the place. He appears to be a normal human, but inside the soft flesh there is indestructable metal. A parole board ruled that Thompson and Venables were no longer a threat. Truanting, or 'sagging off', had become a way of life for Robert. Ann tried to discourage this by hiding his shoes, or by taking him down to the Walton Lane police station and having the officer on duty frighten him into compliance, but to no avail. 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. Our feelings haven't changed towards him. "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. Without anyone in the family to turn to for support, he had to look outside for people whose swaggering aggression he could emulate. In March 2010, Venables was recalled to prison for downloading and distributing more than 100 images of child abuse. 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?". 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. While both boys may have felt helpless and inferior in their own settings, together they were fearless, a portrait of machismo, each playing on the others strong points. however, as the incident in the playground shows, the ever-present threat of discovery cast a constant shadow over anyone related to the two murderers. . Ann Thompson and Susan and Neil Venables didn't need to imagine. In the business world, too many people think it's all about being hard, tough, ambitious, or having grit. eb. James mother Denise Fergus has been saying this for a long time, but still we hoped that the boy who savaged a tiny child to death could become a man safe to be in our midst. I just think of James and his Dad and about all that fun with his little boy, like I had with Jon.". Parents who stand by James's killers - Express.co.uk We feel so sorry for him because he must be going through so much torment. Sandra Gotheridge. He is broken- hearted over it. Best of all, they would spend time on the Walton railway line where Robert had built a den close to the bridge. ', 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.' Thompson, who gained five GCSEs and A-levels in design and technology, is said to have developed an interest in theatre. his killers were just 10 years old and attention focused on their upbringing and dysfunctional home life. Robert Thompson was born to Robert Sr. and Ann Thompson on the 23rd day of August 1982, in Liverpool, England. In return, Jon would let Robert ride his bicycle, and from time to time he would suggest naughty deeds himself. We still think the same of him as we always have. The mayor of Preston accused them of being sick ghouls, but still they came, queuing up for tickets two hours before proceedings began. One police officer described how Jon Venables was so small, his legs were swinging. She was living in secrecy but always felt that she was walking around with a huge sign: mother of Bulger killer, above her head. 'I think about little James and what he must have gone through, how they must feel. Everton was his team. For she added: 'But he's not a murderer.'. 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. Sitting in the new class was a chubby boy with a cherub's face - Robert Thompson. They played a double act towards the children: his mother, Susan, aged 36, a sharp woman with a hawkish look, was the hard one. ROBERT had a reputation in the neighbourhood for being a troublemaker. The old wood panelled courtroom is small. "The age of criminal responsibility in this country is 10 that's too low. He denied having had any films that were not mainstream, or that were pornographic, in the house. TWO BOYS. I cant believe people find excuses for these murderers. Will you tell his mum I'm sorry?". 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. Susan and neil venables. Venables and Thompson abducted, tortured and killed two-year-old James in Liverpool in 1993 when they were both aged just 10. The couples first child, a son, had been born with a cleft pallet, and when Jon was born, much of the Venables focus was on getting their eldest son into speech therapy. This would have been at about 5.30pm - just the time the boys were about to begin killing Jamie. The judge, in sentencing the boys yesterday, voiced his strong suspicion that exposure to violent videos had played a strong part in corrupting them. His body, defiled and broken in two by a train, two miles from where hed been taken, was foundtwo days later. Mr Venables said: "He wouldn't watch horror. The couple, who are living together again after a partial separation, said their feelings towards Jon had not changed despite the terrible crime. You know, we just try and help him as best we can to try to come to terms with things. 'I walked round for a couple of hours trying to find them. 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. Usually, they were slung out. Venables was caught with 1,170 indecent photos of children on his laptop, the Old Bailey was told. The days James was abducted, February 12 1993, I was a young reporter in my home city of Liverpool. She said an educational psychologist had diagnosed hyperactivity in her son, who was bullied at his previous school. Finally, in 1988, while on a family vacation, the breaking point came, when Big Bobby, then thirty-four, began an adulterous relationship with a friend and neighbor in her fifties. Their kids have got everything, she added, bitterly. 'I was the softie,' Neil Venables said. By now, Robert had also stepped comfortably into the role of the aggressor, and, following in the footsteps of his elder brothers, began tormenting his eight-year-old brother on a daily basis. 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. He has had security with loving parents and a loving brother and sister.". 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). Susan Venables is on Facebook. Ultimately, however, the couples indifferences led to separation, and they were eventually divorced in 1986. The citys worst instincts produced the wrongful hounding of a family whose sons people decided were responsible. "In terms of knowing what the full consequences of your actions are, you are into older childhood or adolescence. I would say he was provoked. 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.