susan venables pictures

Jon spent Sunday to Thursday with his mum and the rest of every week with his dad. Once they went into a home decoration shop and hid under a pile of carpets. Their. everyone blamed Thompson and. Jobs were few and far between. Spidery and messy. Southern. Robert passed this down the line bullying his eight-year-old brother into playing truant. She said an educational psychologist had diagnosed hyperactivity in her son, who was bullied at his previous school. She remained very frightened and felt that she and her son were the most hated people in the country. The citys worst instincts produced the wrongful hounding of a family whose sons people decided were responsible. It is just heartbreaking.". S. Susan venables. Twenty-five years on, Im still prone to hot tears at the memory of it all and I do question the trial. Susan was known as the town " whore". But I still kept him in if he was naughty or anything like that.'. portrayed him as the leader and evil one, says James Smith. A smell of bleach lingered on some of the tiled steps that led up to the front doors. See that cell. He also liked to scare old ladies by jumping out in front of their noses. On one occasion, he said, Robert ran off down the street laughing, "You can't catch me". [3] [4] Thompson and Venables led Bulger away . . The Killing of James Bulger: Where are Robert Thompson and Jon Venables He was always getting prizes for maths at school. A parole board ruled that Thompson and Venables were no longer a threat. Jon was also mad on computers. 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. Since his 14-year-old brother, Phillip , had already tried to stab him, the social services agreed. "BULL**** about 'two frightened kids whod made a terrible mistake' The tapes said they kept stoning him, even when he kept getting up. One of Anns sons claimed that Ann, too, had beaten them with sticks, and had struck one of the boys with a cane. Tweet. When Robert was asked what his hobby was he did not say trolls but 'skipping school'. Jon lived in terror of losing his mother's love, yet he was also terrified of her. Lock him in it.'. EXCLUSIVE: 20 Years On, The Suzanne Capper Case - Confidentials 'In my opinion he was victimised. He was fearful of the other boy. The atmosphere in the courtroom was oppressive as the tension of a month was about to break. He appears to be a normal human, but inside the soft flesh there is indestructable metal. Just four years earlier, we had all covered the Hillsborough disaster and come together in grief. 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. At the end of the street a mesh wire frame coverered the window of the money lenders. By now the Venables were reunited as a result of the court case. It emerged that the Venables family had suffered the same fate in another area. He said he was frightened of Robert's older brother. I feel so sorry for them. ', A psychoanalyst and child psychotherapist comes up with yet another possible explanation. 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. The only sign he was discomforted by hearing it was a near constant pulling of his tongue in his hands. Take him home, the officer would say to her. I know how I feel as a mother. The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. While Robert was described as a wily child, known to tell lies, most of the St. Marys school staff agreed that the boy posed little trouble, and, if and when he attended, was generally well-mannered during class. The mayor of Preston accused them of being sick ghouls, but still they came, queuing up for tickets two hours before proceedings began. Both were banned from ever returning to Liverpool and given new identities at a reported cost of 1.5million. It is here, of course, that Jon met and made friends with fellow eccentric, Robert Thompson. In all, they played truant four times. His mother cared about him. Put bluntly, Jon Venables still gets a kick out of seeing small children suffer. Guilty of abducting and murdering James PatrickBulger. The boys lived off chips. I know how I feel as a mother. The end of the court case was not the end of course. Thompson got better opportunities there than if hed been walking the streets in Walton, says the author. The petition, that now has 14,682 signatures, reads: "We want a Public Inquiry into the James Bulger murder case. Get out and get into Dyson Hall children's centre, the only residential care school in the country just outside Liverpool. I used to get them for myself at night time. This would have been at about 5.30pm - just the time the boys were about to begin killing Jamie. Something went wrong, please try again later. I came back and then (Mrs Venables) went out. He didn't want to hurt James. 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. He said he was frightened of Robert's older brother. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. To be absolutely accurate, she had only one illusion. We feel so sorry for him because he must be going through so much torment. 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'.". He once came to me crying saying the other boys were picking on him, trying to steal his bike.'. The experience gave Jon renewed confidence, and the second time they sagged off together he suggested it. . IN their interviews with the two boys, psychiatrists could find no clues to why the boys acted so violently. I just think of James and his Dad and about all that fun with his little boy, like I had with Jon.". and things like that is that he was frightened. We feel so sorry for him because he must be going through so much torment. The guilty verdicts came quickly - within five hours. 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. Wiping away tears, he went on: 'I feel for that family. 'I thought he was all right,' said Boy B, as he was known in court - Jon Venables. 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. ', 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.' 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. I wish we could turn the clocks back," Mrs Venablessaid. Ann Thompson and Susan and Neil Venables didn't need to imagine. fn ye vw la. He began telling his father that he believed his parents loved his brother and sister more than they did him, and, at one point, implored his father to send him to school with his siblings. 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. But talking in 1993, his mother tried to explain how her child turned into a murderer. When he played truant he was scared she would come and find him. Venables and Thompson abducted, tortured and killed two-year-old James in Liverpool in 1993 when they were both aged just 10. At Preston Crown Court Thompsons mother Ann and Venables parents Neil and Sue sat side by side. Yes, these things are important, but trust. The couple, who are living together again after a partial separation, said their feelings towards Jon had not changed despite the terrible crime. 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. The best photos of birds and other wildlife from around the world. 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. This story has no borders,' NBC correspondent Denis Murphy said. Self pity? MOST of the boys were bright. To widespread dismay and condemnation from the Bulger family, the killers were given new identities, courtesy of the taxpayer. 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. In contrast he has had no contact with his father despite an approach soon after sentencing. You know, we just try and help him as best we can to try to come to terms with things. 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. Susan seemed happy with the arrangement, although, for the children, this type of relationship would have been just one more confusing anomaly to cope with in the wake of an already confusing time in their young lives. Nicola had to exchange some clothes at TJ Hughes, Denise waited nearby, watching the children. He always had plenty of friends. 'America is the land of shopping malls. She would arrive at the secure unit with food parcels and is said to be proud of his achievements since the crime. Mrs Thompson claimed she had been the victim of revenge attacks after her identity became known. He has had security with loving parents and a loving brother and sister.". A day later, when James still hadnt been found, it was clear from CCTV footage that he had been taken by children. The base of the dock floor at Preston Crown Court had to be raised 18 inches so each boy could see over it. Extraordinarily, she even shouted up to the railway tracks at Walton where she knew Robert had a den. What doing well means is anybodys guess. I'm warning yer,' she would say. si fs. In a 1993 interview, published in the Guardian newspaper just one day after Robert was convicted of the murder of James Bulger, Ann Thompson was quick to place fault on the neighborhood and the surrounding authorities, who she felt had failed both her and her sons. Recently, I dug out my old notebooks of the trial and my handwriting during the verdicts says it all. By chance, the rest of Jon's family was driving past and spotted them. We still dont know why. Denise Bulger believes her son's murderers - men now - should be in prison for ever. Ironically, Jon was the child who caused his parents least anxiety. James Bulger was weeks away from his third birthday, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson behaved very differently in court, Mother who killed her five children euthanised, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus, Alex Murdaugh jailed for life for double murder, US sues Exxon over nooses found at Louisiana plant, Zoom boss Greg Tomb fired without cause. 'I even went up to the railway line because I knew the other boy had a den up there and was on the railway nearly all the time.'. 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. But after a year they let Ian out again. ql zo. 'Jon was fearful, weak, and he was provoked': Parents of boys who THE first time the boys set eyes on each other after they were arrested was in Preston crown court 3 1/2 weeks ago. 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. When you have got people in the area threatening to blow your kneecaps off every moment of the daythats just the way they are. By then, Robert and Jon had abducted James Bulger from the Strand and attempted to drown him in the nearby canal. 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. Denise Fergus is the same age as me, a fact I only registered when I met her for the first time two weeks ago. Instead, she was involved in an ITV documentary with Sir Trevor McDonald that will air on Thursday. 'I couldn't hear anything,' she said. 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'. Once Robert shared with him a tin of Roses chocolates which he had poured surreptitiously into his coat pocket. They had much in common. We have found 88 people in the UK with the name Susan Venables. But apart from his brother, Robert struggled to build friendships. Less thanfive hours laterthe verdicts were in. That's the thing that upsets me because obviously, where I was standing poor little James must have been not far . He did like to be liked, and loved to have friends, and he has got involved with the wrong person.". It was their sons picked up by detectives. Haunting words of killer Jon Venables' parents resurface on 25th In return, Jon would let Robert ride his bicycle, and from time to time he would suggest naughty deeds himself. Birds. Then they would hide their school satchels under a subway and set off on their adventure. As a result of the incident, Jon's mother decided to move him to another school. The teacher had a different perspective, saying that Susan was in fact aware of the issue, and had expressed deep concern. When they finally came to a disused railway track near the police station, the murderous duo tortured James, throwing stones and bricks at the baby, and kicking and stamping on him before finally dropping a heavy iron bar on to the defenceless tot. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? 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. He was jailed for two years before being granted parole again in July 2013. fun to be with". 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. "All he said when we've said 'Why didn't you run away?' 'I couldn't be arsed talking about them,' said one. It seems likely that he was bullied. As their sweet voices rang around the courtroom, Venables hid his face in his oversized blazer and cried. They went on family outings together, slept together, and when Susan did find a place, virtually coexisted between the two homes. 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. They hid his body under bricks so that the first train to come along cut his body in two, but he was already dead before this happened. From the moment Robert Thompson and Jon Venables were convicted of the murder of James Bulger, their, families have been condemned to lives spent looking over their shoulders. Meanwhile Robert Thompson always regarded as the ringleader and the most likely of the murderous duo to fall by the wayside is said to be doing well. "I don't think we went wrong as parents at all. 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 family was put up in a hostel temporarily and later relocated by the social services. Denise was in court that day. 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. Thompson admitted nothing. 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. Kids fantasise about such things. On many occasions, Susan was observed physically and verbally assaulting Jon. eb. "Just TV programmes and little things remind me of the good times we had together . Channel 5 is set to air a new two-part documentary that tells the definitive story of . But that is the common lot of thousands of 10-year-olds who have not turned into murderers. ", 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.". He took a jar of paracetamol. He started with Liverpool, but by the time of the murder he had switched to Blackburn Rovers. She was living in secrecy but always felt that she was walking around with a huge sign: mother of Bulger killer, above her head. The police have uncovered no evidence of any abuse within either family. Jon Venables is demonstrably no such thing. I wasnt on duty that day, so the very beginnings of the story washed over me. Friday 12th February 1993. Last November he was arrested and recalled to jail on suspicion of possession of images of child sex abuse. Whatever problems she had in her own life, she was always there. The Bulger Murder: Mother cannot believe that 'devious' child killed: That means he is currently 35-years-old. Most of the fun revolved around shoplifting - sweets, trolls, pepperami, tins of modelling paint, drinks, candles; anything, really. Some people thought they were as old as 12 or 13, but when they met they were both only 10 years old. They said their son met Robert Thompson in September 1991, when Jon was transferred from another school. . His mother especially has been a tower of strength, says the source. Money was always a struggle, and she got through the first years drinking in Higson's Top House off St Mary's Lane. 'Just mad. Venables was caught with 1,170 indecent photos of children on his laptop, the Old Bailey was told. 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. He frequented local cinemas and regularly hired videos for the night. He gets upset. 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. 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. 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. Hyperactive children can't sit still all day,' Mrs Venables said. "'It wasnt fair to interview him. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? "In order that justice can be done, no further details are being released at this stage and the proceedings are subject to reporting restrictions.". Both had a need to attract attention, which they achieved through a host of petty rebellions. One police officer described how Jon Venables was so small, his legs were swinging. At school Jon was considered bright enough, though he had trouble keeping up with lessons. Although he appeared to have the more stable upbringing of the two boys, there was a history of family problems.

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