[83] In March 2012, a 26-year-old man from Chorley, Lancashire, was arrested after allegedly setting up a Facebook group with the title "What happened to Jamie Bulger was f**king hilarious." [13][14] The moment was caught on CCTV at 15:42. The moment was caught on CCTV and became the defining image of a horrific case. Jon Venables was just 10 years old when he and friend Robert Thompson murdered toddler James Bulger. Venables served seven years of a life sentence for the 1993 murder before he was freed in June 2001, aged 18. He was given a new name, a job and a flat on his release to try to ensure his security and give him an "ordinary" life. [6][7], Closed-circuit television (CCTV) at the New Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle on 12 February 1993 showed Thompson and Venables casually observing children, apparently selecting a target. football, snooker, things like that. [71] Ralph also remarried, and has three daughters by his second wife. Police had even trained him in counter-surveillance after he was told he would have to "live and hold a lie" for the rest of his life. It was difficult not to note Ann's sparse attendance in Preston crown court, as her son barely comprehended what was going on around him. In 2008, a new probation officer said that he spent "a great deal of leisure time" playing video games and on the Internet. Venables was formally warned by the Probation Service for breaking a "good behaviour" clause in his licence. Brain damage was extensive and included a haemorrhage. "[85][86] On 26 April, two men received suspended jail sentences of nine months after admitting to contempt of court, by publishing photographs that they claimed to be of Venables and Thompson on Facebook and Twitter. Or even tough answers, come to that. Upon release, both Thompson and Venables had lost all trace of their Scouse accent. "My heart really goes out to them. In passing sentence, Deputy High Bailiff Alastair Montgomerie said that the teenager had "put that person at significant risk of serious harm" and in a "perilous position" by making the allegation. The notes record that Ann and Philip had also previously taken overdoses. He had been quiet that weekend, they said, but they had thought that was because his mother had taken him to the police station on the Friday evening for playing truant. The films - packed full of gore and explicit scenes of violence - easily sparked something of a moral panic the decade before. They were sentenced to indefinite detention at Her Majesty's pleasure, and remained in custody until a Parole Board decision in June 2001 recommended their release on a lifelong licence at age 18. Susan Venables was the harsher of the two parents and it was of her that Jon was afraid. Robert was regularly beaten by his older brothers, perhaps cementing an idea of age-based hierarchy when it comes to demonstrating power. On 23 July 2010, Venables, aged 27, is jailed after admitting downloading and distributing indecent images of children. All rights reserved. [14], Each boy sat in view of the court on raised chairs so they could see out of the dock designed for adults, and were accompanied by two social workers and guards. The level of brutality involved in the sadistic killing was far beyond what anyone might imagine two primary school children to be capable of. However, their journey did not come to an end in 1993. Were environmental factors solely behind this disturbance? Three months later, he was found to be in possession of cocaine; he was subjected to a curfew. "[36], In September 1999, Bulger's parents appealed to the European Court of Human Rights but failed to persuade the court that a victim of a crime has the right to be involved in determining the sentence of the perpetrator. He was given a new name, a job and a flat on his release to try to ensure his security and give him an "ordinary" life. He has never really been a truant.
Inside the dark and twisted world of child killer Jon Venables There is, like, a little paint factory. The second involved distributing three indecent photographs of children in February 2010, while a third involved distributing 42 images in February 2008. In 2018, the tranquillity of the Isle of Bute was rocked by an extremely barbaric murder, the after-effects of which still reverberate today. Home Secretary David Blunkett approved the decision, and they were released a few weeks later on lifelong licence after serving eight years. They took on new identities, tried to create new lives. A spokesman commented: "There are many different images circulating online claiming to be of Venables or Thompson; potentially innocent individuals may be wrongly identified as being one of the two men and placed in danger. In the picture, it is Venables who is holding James's hand. "[121] The incident occurred after a man from Exeter posted photographs on a website devoted to identifying paedophiles, allegedly showing Venables as an adult, and revealing his name. He has had more love and attention than a lot of children I know. In the weeks and months and years that followed they have been attacked and vilified by the press. Jon Venables was just 10 years old when he and friend Robert Thompson murdered toddler James Bulger. Mrs Venables described how she searched for Jon. [140], In 2008, Swedish playwright Niklas Rdstrm used the interview transcripts from interrogations with the murderers and their families to recreate the story. They were found guilty on 24 November, making them the youngest convicted murderers in modern British history. In my judgment, your conduct was both cunning and very wicked. Jon's parents said they talked to their son about James after he was arrested, but had to stop. He pleaded guilty to these charges. The moment was caught on CCTV and became the defining image of a horrific case. "[46] David Omand later criticised this decision and outlined the difficulties created by it in his 2010 review of the probation service's handling of the case. While the claim was reported and dismissed in September 2005,[105] it reappeared in March 2010 when it was circulated widely via SMS messages and Facebook. [123] On 4 July 2013, it was reported that the Parole Board for England and Wales had approved the release of Venables. Harry Fletcher, the assistant general secretary of the National Association of Probation Officers, said that only 24-hour surveillance would have stopped Venables. On 12th February 1993, two-year-old James Bulger was brutally murdered by two eleven-year-old boys. THE NEW identity given to Jon Venables, one of the two killers of two-year-old Jamie Bulger, had been uncovered before the authorities discovered that he had Venables served seven years of a life sentence for the 1993 murder before he was freed in June 2001, aged 18. There was a need for an informed public debate on crimes committed by young children. They were tried as adults and made to stand in the dock away from their parents, while the judges and barristers wore full gowns and wigs. In November 2017, she had published an alleged photograph of Venables on Facebook, with the advice "share this as much as possible". Turns out that Jon Venables has been living 20 miles away from me in Warrington under the name Paul Jon Williams. Venables was later charged with three offences. "[4], The police quickly found low-resolution video images of Bulger's abduction from the New Strand Shopping Centre by two unidentified boys. What was their family background like?
Profile: Jon Venables - BBC News The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. [80][81] A memorial garden in Bulger's memory was created in Sacred Heart Primary School in his hometown of Kirkby, the school he would have been expected to attend had he not been murdered. Alex Davies-Jones Family: Children, Parents, Siblings, Husband. The game's developer, Legacy Interactive, released a statement in which it apologised for the image's inclusion in the game; according to the statement, the image's use was "inadvertent", and took place "without any knowledge of the crime, which occurred in the UK, and was minimally publicised in the United States". [48] This campaign was successful, and Howard announced in July 1994 that the boys would be kept in custody for a minimum of fifteen years,[48][49] meaning that they would not be considered for release until February 2008, by which time they would be 25 years old. The storyline was to feature Loretta Jones and her friend Chrissy, who had been given new identities before arriving in the village, after being convicted of murdering a child at the age of 12. . It is as if she thinks of herself walking around with a sign above her head: Mother of Bulger Murderer. A woman has revealed that she discovered that a man she once dated was in fact Jon Venables. He is not a little urchin boy. He pleaded guilty to these charges. In the days after the arrest of Jon Venables and Robert Thompson for the murder of James Bulger, their mothers were attacked and vilified in the street. The order, and its enforcement, is therefore intended to protect not only Venables and Thompson, but also those members of the public who have been incorrectly identified as being one of the two men. Both boys had parents who had separated; each had difficulties with attendance, learning and behaviour at school. Demonstrators hold placards reading ""Women, Life, Freedom" as they demonstrate against the persecution of women in Iran, on Whitehall in central London, A Harlequin Great Dane named H and a Chihuahua named Boo during a photo call for the launch of this year's Crufts, at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham, 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, Get up to 10% off using the Booking.com app, 50 off over 650 using this Expedia discount code, $6 off a $50+ order with this AliExpress discount code, 10% off selected product with this eBay voucher 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 April 2023, Compare iPhone contract deals and get the best offer this April, Compare the best mobile phone deals from the top networks and brands. [24][25][26] He sustained 10 skull fractures as a result of the bar striking his head. November 24: Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, now both aged 11, are convicted of James Bulger's murder following a 17-day trial at Preston Crown Court. He was working at Pizza Hut. I would say he was provoked. Jonathan Foster reports", "Drug dealer who found James Bulger's body jailed after crashing into family's car", "Death of James Bulger: Pt 4, Ten-Year-Old Suspects", "Death of James Bulger: Pt 5, Robert Denies, Jon Cries", "Liverpool Tries to Reconcile Murder and a Boy Next Door", "James Bulger documentary: Jon Venables so haunted by toddler victim he detected 'baby smell' on everything he wore, C5 show claims", "The secret meetings that set James's killers free", "Bulger ruling: If the defendants could not talk about their crime, how could they conduct a defence? I wish we could turn the clocks back,' Mrs Venables, 36, said. He has been educated. These locations were not publicly known until after the boys' release. I feel so sorry for them. [9] Throughout the day, Thompson and Venables were seen shoplifting various items, including sweets, batteries, a troll doll, and a can of blue Humbrol modelling paint. "What he's done is wrong so he needs to be punished. Ian, aged 15, subsequently asked to be taken into care and when he was returned home he tried to kill himself by overdosing on painkillers. The writer Gitta Sereny later reported that police were aghast at her for "constantly repairing her make-up" during this dreadful time. [37] These aspects were later criticised by the European Court of Human Rights, which ruled in 1999 that they had not received a fair trial by being tried in public in an adult court. Lord Justice Nigel Davis said that the offence was "close to the line" for an immediate prison sentence but suspended the sentence, after observing an early admission of guilt and remorse by the woman. Venables was When a child kills, we need to look at the parents for an explanation. ", 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.".