WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT – Jon Venables, convicted of murdering James Bulger in 1993, faces a parole hearing next month as the victim’s mother prepares to confront her son’s killer after more than 30 years

(Image: PA)

Jon Venables, as he was once known, could soon be released from prison, marking another heartbreaking setback for the family of the late James Bulger.

Venables was just 10 years old when, on February 12, 1993, he and his partner in crime, Robert Thompson, also 10, abducted two-year-old James at the New Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle, Merseyside.

James’s mum, Denise Fergus, momentarily lost sight of her toddler while paying for items at A.R. Tym’s butcher’s shop. When she turned back, her little boy had vanished.

The ensuing events constituted one of the most heart-wrenching cases in British criminal history. As seen in chilling CCTV footage, Venables and Thompson led the younger child by the hand out of the shopping centre and towards a railway embankment in Walton.

It was here that they inflicted 42 separate injuries on James, battering him with bricks, stones, and a 22lb iron fishplate. After the tiny child succumbed to blunt force trauma, they then left his body on the railway tracks to be hit by a train, reports the Mirror.

A video still of missing boy James Bulger, aged 2 years old, being led away by a youth in the ‘New Strand’ shopping centre in the Bootle area of Liverpool.(Image: PA)

The horrifying truth emerged, sending shockwaves through parents nationwide, many of whom found it hard to fathom that children could perpetrate such evil. As adults, Venables and Thompson were reintegrated into society under heavily protected identities.

However, it wasn’t long before Venables began to commit more appalling crimes, which resulted in his brief period of freedom being cut short.

Tears in court

Throughout their notorious trial at Preston Crown Court, Venables and Thompson were observed exchanging furtive looks and, when recorded accounts of their truancy together were presented to the jury, they even managed a smile.

Delivering the sentence, Mr Justice Morland told the boys, who became the youngest convicted murderers in British history, that their actions constituted a crime of “unparalleled evil and barbarity… in my judgment, your conduct was both cunning and very wicked.”

Observers following the proceedings believed there were distinctions between the two, with Thompson perceived as the ringleader and Venables as the easily influenced accomplice. Their contrasting emotional reactions were particularly noted by those present during that deeply distressing trial.

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Jon Venables(Image: Press Association)

While Thompson earned a reputation as “the one that did not cry”, Venables broke down in tears throughout every single day of the three-week hearing.

Collapsing as the devastating verdict was delivered, Venables stated as he was escorted away: “The little boy, will you tell his mum I’m sorry.”

Psychological assessments released in 1995 concluded that Venables had progressed through sequential emotional stages of denial, grief, and confession, ultimately arriving at a remorse “that would remain forever”.

Teenage years at secure unit

After their convictions, the two youthful offenders were sent to separate secure units. Thompson was sent to Barton Moss outside Manchester, and Venables to Vardy House, in Red Bank.

It was here that he received regular visits from his parents and began to excel academically, having previously struggled at school. Passing GCSEs and A-Levels, avid reader Venables demonstrated a talent for writing and even expressed aspirations of attending university, as previously reported by The Guardian.

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Image of James Bulger(Image: PA)

Beyond the classroom, Venables’ fondness for football was nurtured, and it’s reported he attended at least 10 matches during his time at Red Bank, accompanied by social workers. A fan of Manchester United, having previously supported Liverpool and Blackburn, Venables is said to have been particularly keen on David Beckham in his youth, seemingly empathising with the backlash the player faced after the 1998 World Cup.

While at Red Bank, under the guidance of staff, Venables kept his true crimes to himself, telling fellow residents he was in for car theft. During these years, the young lad reportedly lived in constant fear of being recognised.

At the age of 17, shortly before his release, Venables was reported to have allegedly had sexual relations with a female employee. As detailed in The Sunday Times and in a BBC documentary, these allegations were investigated, and the accused staff member was suspended.

Release and ‘low risk’

A psychiatric assessment from 2000 concluded that Venables presented a “trivial” danger to the public and was improbable to commit further offences. His prospects for successful rehabilitation were judged to be “very high”.

After extensive debates about whether Venables ought to be moved to an adult secure facility, the Parole Board freed the 18 year old on a life licence, taking effect from 22 June 2001.

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Two-year-old James was abducted and killed in 1993(Image: Reuters)

By then, Thompson and Venables had lost their recognisable Scouse accents, and steps were implemented to guarantee the teenagers emerged into society with entirely fresh identities, likened in certain accounts to a witness protection scheme.

Relocated to undisclosed addresses, Liverpool’s most infamous child killers were allegedly provided with counterfeit passports, national insurance numbers, qualification certificates, and even medical records. However, this new-found relative liberty came with stringent conditions – they were barred from making contact with one another or the Bulger family, and were banned from returning to Merseyside.

As would subsequently be outlined in the Omand review, there was a “feeling of optimism” among probation officers after Venables seemed to fare “better than expected” following his release, even developing interests in cycling and badminton. Yet this wasn’t the complete story.

Despite approaching adulthood, Venables was woefully unprepared for independent living, never having travelled on a bus alone, purchased his own clothing, or managed any of the countless routine tasks that constitute everyday life. By March 2002, Venables had moved into independent accommodation, but it quickly became apparent that his transition to adult life wasn’t progressing as smoothly as anticipated.

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Jon Venables(Image: PA)

His shabby living environment, moreover, bore little resemblance to that of a mature adult. In January 2008, a newly appointed offender manager visited the then 25 year old’s flat, describing it as resembling a teenager’s bedroom, “with clothing, food cartons etc all over the floor”.

The offender manager noted in their report: “He spends a great deal of leisure time on the PlayStation and on the internet playing games… not sure of the significance of this as yet… I’m not certain what games he is playing.”

Whilst a permanent injunction safeguarding the killers’ fresh identities from media exposure had been granted by high-court judge Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, there remained, naturally, that familiar dread of discovery that Venables had experienced at Redbank.

According to Sky News, Venables received counter-surveillance training from police officers, who cautioned him that he would need to “live and hold a lie” for the rest of his days, for his own protection.

Woeful job prospects

Securing employment proved an uphill battle for Venables, the notorious killer living under false documentation, as his genuine identity would have been uncovered by any employer conducting a CRB check. Advised to steer clear of positions requiring such vetting, he was restricted to applying for unskilled, poorly-paid jobs.

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Local people read about the release of the killers of James Bulger in the local paper, June 22nd 2001 outside the Strand shopping centre in Bootle from where James was abducted by Venables and Thompson(Image: PA)

By spring 2004, financial troubles had begun to mount, with Venables apparently leaving the secure facility with minimal knowledge of money management. Twelve months on, having abandoned his college course, the debt-laden Venables had been compelled to vacate his flat and continued to struggle finding work.

Troubling patterns of behaviour

From the age of 10, Venables had received treatment from clinical psychiatrist Dr Susan Bailey, who maintained it took him a year to recover from his trial, which plagued his nightmares for years afterwards. However, a turning point came in August 2003 when Venables reached his 21st birthday.

Upon discharging Venables from her care, Dr Bailey suggested the young man required an adult psychiatrist, whilst drawing attention to her client’s persistent anxieties about being identified by revenge-seekers. She also stressed the importance of monitoring Venables’ unusual “psychosexual development”.

Whilst the MAPPP committee managed to locate an adult psychiatrist, it was ultimately deemed unnecessary for them to either consult with or directly treat Venables, given he was classified as ‘low risk’. In the years following his release, Venables’ conduct landed him in hot water on numerous occasions.

By 2007, he had developed a serious drinking problem and was taking drugs, including cocaine and mephedrone. The following September, he was arrested on suspicion of affray after a fight with a man who claimed Venables had assaulted his girlfriend.

Both faced a public order charge, which was subsequently dropped as prosecutors couldn’t establish he wasn’t acting in self-defence. Given a formal warning for breaching a “good behaviour” clause in his licence, Venables then received a caution that December for possession of cocaine, after officers observed him handling a container of white powder.

After this incident, probation workers imposed an additional requirement on Venables’ licence, compelling him to tackle his alcohol and drug problems, and he was also given a curfew.

Concerning relationships

In 2004, it “belatedly” emerged that Venables had entered into a relationship with the young mother of a five-year-old child, whom Venables insisted he had not met.

In 2005, at the age of 23, Venables’ probation officer discovered the killer was dating a 17-year-old girl. It was subsequently suggested that Venables’ series of “younger girlfriends” indicated he was experiencing a delayed adolescence.

Disturbing paedophilia discovery

In early 2010, Venables, then aged 27, was sent back to prison after disturbing child pornography was discovered on his computer. The Times reported in 2011 that this came to light after Venables’ new identity was exposed at his place of work.

When officers arrived at his residence to place the killer in protective custody, they found him trying to destroy his PC hard drive.

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A newspaper headline features the headline: “Bulger Killer Mailed Over”(Image: Sunday Mirror)

Analysis of the hard drive revealed several dozen horrific images of child abuse that Venables had downloaded and, in some instances, even shared. He received a two-year sentence for child pornography offences and was released in 2013, but soon found himself in legal trouble once more.

Child abuse ‘manual’

After another arrest in 2017, Venables pleaded guilty in February 2018 to possessing videos depicting sexual abuse alongside a “paedophile manual”. At the Old Bailey, Mr Justice Edis said the manual indicated that Venables was “at least contemplating the possibility of moving on to actual sexual crime against children”.

The sentencing judge described the images as “vile” and “heartbreaking”, noting that 392 were category A – the most severe classification. Venables received a 40-month prison term, with a minimum of 20 months to be served.

‘Danger to children’

Venables’ most recent attempt at freedom occurred in December 2023, when he failed to attend a two-day parole hearing, conducted in private as he believed facing James’ family “would harm his mental health”. Whilst this request was accommodated, Venables didn’t turn up for this closed-door hearing, where all evidence was presented to the parole board.

Following two weeks of consideration, a panel determined Venables was “still a danger to children” and “could not be trusted”.

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Library file picture dated 10/02/01 of Denise Fergus, 33, centre, the mother of the murdered little boy James Bulger leading a march of more than 300 people in protest at the expected release of his killers.(Image: PA)

A three-page summary of the Parole Board’s judgement stated: “After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made while in custody and on licence, and the evidence presented in the dossier, the panel was not satisfied that release at this point would be safe for the protection of the public. It noted the risks as set out above, doubted Mr Venables’ ability to be open and honest with professionals, and concluded that there remained a need for him to address outstanding levels of risk, and to develop his relationship with his probation officer.”

The summary acknowledged that, whilst Venables had undertaken a “considerable amount of work” whilst imprisoned to tackle his offending behaviour, the panel remained “concerned by continuing issues of sexual preoccupation”. With 21 days granted to lodge an appeal, this window passed without action, and Venables has stayed imprisoned ever since.

Nevertheless, he will shortly receive another chance to potentially secure his release.

Parole showdown

Next month, James’ mother, Denise, faces further anguish at a parole hearing where she will hear her son’s killer speak for the first time in over three decades. The decision, communicated to James’ family by parole officials this week, has left Denise grappling with “uncertainty and distress”, whilst the ordeal of confronting Venables has tragically reignited what has been characterised as an “unimaginable trauma”.

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James Bulger’s heartbroken mother Denise Fergus(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Denise’s spokesperson, Kym Morris, previously told the Mirror: “Today we have been informed that a parole hearing has been granted in relation to Jon Venables. Once again, Denise Fergus has been forced to confront a process that reopens unimaginable trauma. Denise was hoping for a redirection, with no hearing granted by the MAC, allowing her a measure of peace and protection from further distress. That hope has now been taken away.

“Denise has been informed that her application to observe the hearing has been granted. While this provides her with access to the process, it does not lessen the emotional burden she is being asked to carry, nor does it offer the reassurance or closure she so desperately deserves. Instead, Denise now faces yet another prolonged period of uncertainty and distress, with limited clarity around how decisions are being reached or how ongoing risks are being assessed.”

Meanwhile, Denise, 57, has expressed her intention to remind the parole board that Venables is “bigger and stronger” than when he committed the horrific crime against James.

Speaking to the Mirror, Denise stated: “It is distressing and frankly makes me angry that I’ve now been told that James’ killer will be afforded a parole hearing and a chance of release. Surely this person has proved he can not be given yet another chance, yet he’s been given one.

The parole board must remember, he’s not a 10-year-old anymore. He’s bigger, he’s stronger, he’s got more wits about him. He’s been educated to lie to his back teeth. My worry is that if he’s released, he’ll lose that protection, he’ll be looking over his shoulder the whole time, he’ll have a target on his back. “He’s not going to like it in the real world. What is he going to do to get back inside?”.