Jon Venables guilty: Jamie Bulger’s mother slams 'farcical' child porn sentence handed to son's killer

Chloe Chaplain8 February 2018
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James Bulger’s mother has hit out at the “farcical” sentence handed to one of her son’s killers as he was locked up again for child pornography offences.

Jon Venables was sentenced to three years and four months after admitting to making indecent images of children and possessing a “sickening” paedophile manual.

He was caught with the indecent images as he was living anonymously following his release from a life sentence for the kidnap, torture and murder of two-year-old James 25 years ago.

After his sentencing at the Old Bailey, Jamie’s mother Denise Fergus, hit out at the authorities and accused them of "colluding" to cover up Venables' pattern of vile behaviour.

She described the court case as a “horrendous” experience and said the length of the sentence was “too short”.

“Three years is really a farce,” her spokesman said, adding it would leave him "believing he got away with it".

Critical: Denise Fergus, the mother of murdered toddler James Bulger and her husband Stuart (right), listen as a statement is read out outside the Old Bailey in London
PA

"There should be no further collusion or attempts to cover up his offending behaviour. If re-bailed he must be kept on a very tight leash," the spokesman added.

The comments came after the court heard that Venables had breached his parole in 2015 by accessing the internet but was only handed a police caution rather than being brought back to court.

During a hearing at the Old Bailey, he pleaded guilty to downloading 1,170 images from the dark web.

Mr Justice Edis said the Parole Board will decide when he should be released back into the community. He said the latest images were "vile" and "heartbreaking", adding that many showed abuse of young boys like James.

Guilty: Venables pictured as a child 
PA

Mr Justice Edis told Venables: "This case is unique because when you were 10 years old you took part in the brutal murder and torture of James Bulger.

"That was a crime which revolted the nation and which continues to do so even after the 25 years that has passed since it happened."

Of the images he downloaded, the judge said it would be "heartbreaking for any ordinary person to see this kind of material".

James's mother and father, Ralph Bulger, were in court for the hearing. The judge declined a request to delay sentencing so Mr Bulger could make a victim impact statement, saying: "I know the impact on these two people of what happened when their child was killed.

"I know already how it must be for them when that tragic event is once more brought into the public domain into court and so on because of the offending of one of the killers."

Horrendous experience: Denise Fergus
PA

James was kidnapped, tortured and killed by Venables and Robert Thompson, who was also 10, in February 1993.

Venables, who has lifelong anonymity, was released on licence in 2001 after serving eight years for murdering James.

In 2010, he pleaded guilty to charges of downloading and distributing child pornography and was jailed for two years.

In September 2008, he was arrested on suspicion of affray after a drunken brawl and was given a formal warning by the Probation Service. And later the same year, he was cautioned for possession of cocaine.

Denise and Ralph Bulger, parents of murdered boy Jamie Bulger, in 1993

Appearing on court via video-link from custody, he pleaded guilty to making 392 category A images – the most extreme kind – and 778 other images. He also admitted having the paedophile manual on or before November 17 last year.

Prosecutor Louis Mably QC said that, when Venables' computer was seized, police found images of children mainly aged between six and 13, although some were younger.

The court heard that a report had found that Venables was a "high risk of real harm to children" and has a "long-term and profound interest in children".

As he was being taken to a police station, Venables said: "This is my own fault. I have let people down again.

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