The right will draw attention to the broken homes, the single parents, the persistent truancy. In quest of companionship, he occasionally bullied his younger brother into truanting with him, and, in an effort to impress his peers, frequently boasted of his late-night exploits on the railway line, but failed to attract much attention. 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. 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 Killing of James Bulger: Where are Robert Thompson and Jon Venables Ironically, Jon was the child who caused his parents least anxiety. 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. His grip was so strong that it took two people to pry Jon off of the boy. He once came to me crying saying the other boys were picking on him, trying to steal his bike.'. She was prone to hysteria and hailed from a 'strict and disciplined' background. The police have uncovered no evidence of any abuse within either family. The family was put up in a hostel temporarily and later relocated by the social services. It emerged that the Venables family had suffered the same fate in another area. He has had security with loving parents and a loving brother and sister.". 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. When a police officer asked him why he didn't rescue James bleeding on the railway lines he replied: ' 'Cos blood stains, doesn't it, and then me mother would have to pay more money. He would often have to stay in class at break times to catch up. I cant believe people find excuses for these murderers. 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. fn ye vw la. 'We have never really been apart,' Mrs Venables said. He appears to be a normal human, but inside the soft flesh there is indestructable metal. Aged 10, he was barely literate. Susan Venable: 141 records - CVs, addresses, photos, cars - uFind.name James Bulger's killers: Where are Robert Thompson and Jon Venables? Her husband came back to Walton now and again to see his mother, but he never came to see the boys. 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.'. Robert is not believed to have reoffended - Venables has been convicted twice since being set free. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? He gets upset. Less thanfive hours laterthe verdicts were in. He did like to be liked, and loved to have friends, and he has got involved with the wrong person.". Nine months later, I was one of 30 or so journalists inside Preston Crown Court when the trial began. Susan Venables - People Directory - 192.com Robert passed this down the line bullying his eight-year-old brother into playing truant. Mrs Venables walked around the area for hours, searching for him. He stayed away from school so often the local police called him a professional truant. I don't think they understood he was hyperactive. He was always getting prizes for maths at school. She said an educational psychologist had diagnosed hyperactivity in her son, who was bullied at his previous school. I didnt, did I? she said to Neil during their interview with Gitta Sereny. The mayor of Preston accused them of being sick ghouls, but still they came, queuing up for tickets two hours before proceedings began. Will you tell his Mum Im sorry?. Im bringing them up on my own, but if I went round and screwed every warehouse, my kids would have everything, too. Even so, while Roberts community was rough, his home life was perhaps worse, and could hardly be considered a refuge for the boy. The first Susan Venables knew they had stayed away from school was when she saw one of Jon's classmates on her way home with the gerbils. Join Facebook to connect with Susan Venables and others you may know. Thompson, who gained five GCSEs and A-levels in design and technology, is said to have developed an interest in theatre. The hardliners in the police have a simpler explanation. I'm warning yer,' she would say. He has had more love and attention than a lot of children I know. 'You'd better tell the truth. How could two small boys savage and leave a toddler for dead? "On the other hand, you are looking at him and you are saying 'Well, I know why - because he is so weak'. Asked later if he could recall a time when his brother had exhibited any unusually aggressive tendencies, Roberts brother said no: Hes frightened of his own shadow. Nonetheless, in hindsight, its safe to assume that by 1993, ten-year-old Robert was swiftly approaching crisis point., Alarmingly, some of the neighboring children later claimed to have seen Robert behave cruelly towards animals, and pull the heads off of baby pigeons, although this was never unequivocally confirmed. 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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. Twenty-five years on, Im still prone to hot tears at the memory of it all and I do question the trial. Superintendent Kirby is a religious man. The living versions on the floor of the court looked equally wrinkled and austere. The end of the court case was not the end of course. Neighbors later reported that it wasnt uncommon for Robert to be seen wandering the streets of Walton after midnight, since he was always running off at night. Ann denied the physical abuse, but later admitted to being cruel to the boys at times. The Liverpool Echo boasted that their man had one of 'just 34 seats' allocated to the international press. He had an elder brother, aged 13, and a nine-year-old sister. He has never really been what you would call a sagger off school (a truant). We still think the same of him as we always have. 'They were just your average scruff - like the rest of us.'. The breaking point came when Jon was suspended from Broad Square after attempting to choke a classmate with a twelve-inch wooden ruler. Between January and the day of the murder Robert had absconded 37 half days out of a possible 60 . Shame? 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. "I don't think we went wrong as parents at all. Constantly restless, his workbooks were empty, and he would often be denied recess because he was so far behind. It seems likely that he was bullied. On the walls hung oil paintings of local judges and magistrates, their surfaces crinkled with age. Few had the patience to be friends with him, only his younger brother and a couple of lads who lived nearby. "It was very dark and I shouted down, shouted his name. 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. Depressed, Ann began drinking heavily and was taking narcotics which caused her to hallucinate. 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'. But I still kept him in if he was naughty or anything like that.'. 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. One of the focal points of the local community was QD Videos at the bottom of Robert's street, where the kids would browse through the horror stacks, discussing their favourites knowledgeably. Those who knew him well said he was a very emotional child, prone to mood swings. 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. I would say he was provoked. At 2:30 they went to the two-story shopping centre. '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. 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. Jobs were few and far between. He's quite bright and clever. Their parents entered the courtroom; The Venables arrived together, Ann Thompson came with supporters but no sign of Robert's father. From a distance Robert looked a sweet child. She initially enrolled the two younger children in Broad Square Elementary, but it soon became clear that her daughter was struggling to keep up with the schools curriculum. They knew what they were doing," another wrote. The couple, who are living together again after a partial separation, said their feelings towards Jon had not changed despite the terrible crime. Parents who stand by James's killers - Express.co.uk His mother gave him pocket money to buy them. On one occasion one of Anns sons let his real name slip at school and they had to move almost at once, says. But Robert was stuck in Walton with his older brothers and the baby. Thompson did what he often did, looked around, grabbing clumsily at his tongue. Financially, the couple appeared to be functioning, but meanwhile, Susan was at the end of her rope with her eldest son, who, having become increasingly frustrated at his inability to communicate, had grown terribly unhappy and was having temper tantrums regularly. It has already been reported that Jon Venables real identity has been exposed in prison, where he is said to be receiving 24-hour protection. By now the Venables were reunited as a result of the court case. . He used to be bullied by other children for being so behind, and would return home at night visibly upset. has prompted a public outcry for an investigation into issues surrounding the case. I'm bringing up on my own but if I went round and screwed every warehouse my children would have everything too.'. 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. Two boys who forged a friendship out of breaking the rules. Will you tell his mum I'm sorry?". It was on his way back to the interview room when Venables finally admitted it: "We did it. 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. 'I thought he was all right,' said Boy B, as he was known in court - Jon Venables. In return, Jon would let Robert ride his bicycle, and from time to time he would suggest naughty deeds himself. The taunts upset Jons already volatile temper, and he began coming home in increasingly low spirits and crying. After a while the 10-year-olds began to charge - a tenner an interview. It would be a week before we heard their voices, in hours of taped police interviews, They stopped us all in our tracks. As a result of the incident, Jon's mother decided to move him to another school. The James Bulger murder View gallery Venables was born on August 12, 1982. It should certainly be moved up to 12; in some European countries it is 14," she said. Regrettably, yet perhaps not entirely unforeseen, the cycle of abuse continued. They occasionally exchanged furtive glances. 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. She also had to stay strong for the remaining children. Ironically, the relationship between mother and son improved when he, was behind bars. Bird Pictures. The pair were handed new identities after being released from prison. 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They didnt kill him in an accident it was premeditated and they tortured that poor baby. Robert said 'If you tell anybody I'll get my big brother to batter you up'. They went on family outings together, slept together, and when Susan did find a place, virtually coexisted between the two homes. JON Venables's family was far from affluent, but it was not as close to the breadline as Robert's. "Throughout the conduct of the case there have been a number of issues that have been swept under the carpet. She spent much of her time at the pub after that, and rarely stayed in for a meal. Liked by susan venables. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. I have cried for JamesBulgermany times, so God only knows the tears his parents and family have shed. It set the tone for the years ahead in which there was to be no respite from the hatred. The detective explained how, before she left, she soothed him, told him his parents would love him whatever he told the police, reminding him that Denise neededto know what had happened to her baby. 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. Seeing at first hand the pain of a family who have lost a toddler to an act of brutal violence is almost unbearably moving. Neil Venables regarded himself as the Barry Norman of Merseyside - a film buff with a penchant for horror. THE first time the boys set eyes on each other after they were arrested was in Preston crown court 3 1/2 weeks ago. 'I couldn't hear anything,' she said. They had much in common. He said he was frightened of Robert's older brother. She couldn't. But after a year they let Ian out again. Susan Venables Profiles | Facebook The judge, in sentencing the boys yesterday, voiced his strong suspicion that exposure to violent videos had played a strong part in corrupting them. Denise Fergus is the same age as me, a fact I only registered when I met her for the first time two weeks ago. 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. Haunting words of killer Jon Venables' parents resurface on 25th On one occasion, he said, Robert ran off down the street laughing, "You can't catch me". DAVID James Smith, who visited Mrs Thompson at one of her secret homes, reveals that it was a sad existence. Instead, she was involved in an ITV documentary with Sir Trevor McDonald that will air on Thursday. 'His mum was more strict. 'It was very dark and I shouted down, shouted his name. What a horror it all was. 'In my opinion he was victimised. Egypt. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. A maudlin ballad about Liverpool was playing in the back- ground and she was cooking the dish known as Scouse. His mother called him hyperactive since, even more than his friend, he was scarcely able to sit still. 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. Both parents hope was that he would make something of his life and eventually find some peace. Their. 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. The best instincts led hundreds, including me, to lay flowers a few days later at the site of James horrific end. This time, curiosity took the upper hand: 'I wanted to see what it was like,' he said. 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"I think my son's concentration wasn't the way it should have been, but he wasn't slow. An Egret looking for his dinner! - Aswan, Egypt | Bird pictures, Aswan I came back and then (Mrs Venables) went out. "All he said when we've said 'Why didn't you run away?' Robert had asked once before but Jon, who had rarely truanted in his previous school, was scared and said no. . When Robert was asked what his hobby was he did not say trolls but 'skipping school'. Two youngsters who found a new rule to break | James Bulger murder Gillespie, McNeilly, and Powell were sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 25 years. Denise Bulger believes her son's murderers - men now - should be in prison for ever. In all, they played truant four times. Jon, who had the most trouble sleeping, appeared fearful of Susan, and was terrified, above all, of her condemnation. Susan Venables, mother of Jon - referred to throughout the trial as Boy B - blamed her son's 'weakness' for the murder of James Bulger, . Join Facebook to connect with Susan Venables and others you may know. 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. Its beyond me," one viewer tweeted. 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. On countless occasions, Bobby battered his wife, once causing her to miscarry, and his temper didnt stop at his wife. For a start, there were only three children, of whom Jon was the middle. 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. susan and neil venables Their faces affected me deeply. I couldnt make any sense of it, Robert later recalled, desolately, when asked about his fathers unexpected departure. 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. The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. Susan, aged 36, a sharp woman . For his parents, the fact they were children was actually a cause for hope at that point. kl. rk ye. James smith (16 March 1990 [2] - 12 February 1993) was a two-year-old boy from Kirkby, Merseyside, England, who was abducted, tortured, and murdered by two 10-year-old boys, Robert Thompson (born 23 August 1982) and Jon Venables (born 13 August 1982), on 12 February 1993. Without anyone in the family to turn to for support, he had to look outside for people whose swaggering aggression he could emulate. 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. They and Ann Thompson, who has six other. ', A psychoanalyst and child psychotherapist comes up with yet another possible explanation. Not surprisingly, Ann had also attempted suicide in the same manner, some months before. They saw it with their eyes. Hes your son., Unhappily, it was during this critical time that Ann became pregnant with her seventh child, the product of another failed relationship. At the time Ann Thompson pleaded for her son to be left alone and revealed that she and her other children had been forced to move house nine times in eight years. Chilling words of Jon Venables' parents resurface on 25th anniversary . Verdict day came. The attitude when you live where we live is that you have to be tough or else you dont survive, she said. And there were rewards for breaking rules. The experience gave Jon renewed confidence, and the second time they sagged off together he suggested it. 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. On Sundays he used to watch Thunderbirds. My young body must have been tense with the deep anxiety that permeated every inch of that courtroom. These are the words of an officer who was in the police station when DCI Geoff MacDonald of Merseyside Police broke the news to Denise that James was dead. Some people thought they were as old as 12 or 13, but when they met they were both only 10 years old. Another added: "An awful mistake??!! Architect Shahed Saleem in the Ramadan Pavilion 2023 at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. wo. Why would I want to kill him? he said, referring to the slain toddler. Southern. 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. 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. 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. They did. She said that Jon was always "loving, caring, thoughtful and considerate . gl. so they were put in a lower year. Susan was known as the town " whore". . More often, he would pinch them from local shops. School had no hold on him - there was no corporal punishment or other form of penalty that touched him. Scores more watched proceedings from a neighbouring office block which, for the duration of the trial, came under court jurisdiction. By now the two boys from Walton were part of an international freak show. James Bulger: Jon Venables' identity leaked online - news It is just heartbreaking.". Not for long though. After spending just eight years in custody, Britain's youngest killers were released and given lifetime anonymity in the UK. What doing well means is anybodys guess. Mrs Venables described how she searched for Jon. He would throw things at other children, cut himself deliberately with scissors and stick paper all over his face. Murder of James Bulger - Wikipedia The Bulger Murder: Mother cannot believe that 'devious' child killed: When the fisticuffs ended, impressed by each other's performance, they made friends. Whatever problems she had in her own life, she was always there. Half way through the 1992-1993 school year, Robert had already racked up nearly 50 unauthorized absences, and was falling significantly behind in his schoolwork. One time they sagged off with Robert's younger brother, which went disastrously wrong. ROBERT had a reputation in the neighbourhood for being a troublemaker. But his outbursts of anger grew worse and he was suspended for trying to throttle a boy with a ruler. Trauma? Look at mine. 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. They fled the city, never to return. 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. Both had a need to attract attention, which they achieved through a host of petty rebellions. Put bluntly, Jon Venables still gets a kick out of seeing small children suffer. The Radio Merseyside newsroom, where I was working at the time, was full and everyone was on this story one way or another. He believes these were evil boys. Now we waited. Spidery and messy. 2023 BBC. Not that he had any need to borrow his dad's. Best of all, they would spend time on the Walton railway line where Robert had built a den close to the bridge.
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