THIS is the moment Jon Venables’s admission that he killed James Bulger was played out loud at trial – as a new documentary recounts the horror killing.
Channel 5 documentary James Bulger: The Trial tells the story of Jon Venables and Robert Thompson’s 1993 trial after they brutally killed the two-year-old – and recreates scenes from the courtroom.
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Evil Jon Venables was overheard saying ‘I did kill him’Credit: Rex Features
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He murdered toddler James BulgerCredit: PA:Press Association
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Grieving mum Denise FergusCredit: Channel 5
The film cuts clips from a reenactment of the trial with videos taken at the time.
It recounts the crucial moment when Venables was overheard by cops saying “I did kill him” – with the confession later played out in court.
The boys’ interview tapes revealed how they cried “crocodile tears” as they both shamelessly denied having been anywhere near Jamie.
Thompson said: “He’s a liar. I never got the boy. I never killed him.
“We never killed him. I told him to take him back. Why am I getting all the blame?”
When grilled by cops, Venables said: “I can’t tell you because mum will be annoyed.”
But as his parents’ left the room, he was heard saying: “I did kill him.
“What about his mum, will you tell her I’m sorry?”
Jamie’s mum Denise Fergus was shown her statement to the court for the first time since 1993 in the documentary – but was too distraught to read it.
Looking over the statement, she said: “At the time it had come from my heart.
“It’s been 30 years since I’ve last seen this and I can’t read it, I’ve described James in it, and I can’t do it.
“I don’t want to go back there, I know for a fact it’s played back in my mind, if I read that I’m back to day one.”
The statement recounts how Denise lost sight of Jamie for a few moments – and then he was gone.
Prosecutor Henry Globe said you could hear a pin drop in court when the statement was being read out.
Denise also explained why she did not attend the harrowing trial at Preston Sessions Court.
She said: “It’s not that I chose not to attend the trial. It’s that I was told not to attend because the pressure would have gone to the baby.
“I had to think about the baby I was carrying too. It’s not only that I was grieving one but I was carrying another. I don’t want to be going through this.”
Denise said that evil Venables will attack another child if he is ever released.
She said: “No matter what I’m not going to get James back, I’m fighting for other families.
“I don’t want them to go through what I went through, thirty years of fighting.”
The documentary recounts how 38 witnesses saw Venables and Thompson leading James away – but did not intervene.
One woman said she refused to take away James because she was afraid her dog would not be friendly.
Another witness said: “If I’d known, I would have done something.”
‘CUT THROAT’
Jon Venables’s trial lawyer Laurence Lee and defence lawyer Dominic Lloyd also share their memories of the trial in the documentary.
They described the atmosphere of the trial as “surreal” – with the two child killers like “circus animals” at its centre.
The dock had to be raised by several inches so the two boys could see over it.
The two defendants blamed each other in a “cut throat defence” where each said the other was entirely responsible.
But the prosecution argued that “those were two people who were in it together throughout”.
Prosecutor Richard Henriques said: “They were clearly both together as James sustained his terrible injuries.
“These crimes were committed together by these two defendants. It was a joint enterprise.”
Forensic scientist Phillip Rydeard proved that Thompson had been actively involved – by matching the exact shape of a wound on Jamie’s head to one of Thompson’s shoes.
Court artist Priscilla Coleman described Venables as “very pretty” – but Thompson as “very rough”.
The defence argued that the two boys were too young and “immature” to know the difference between right and wrong.
But psychologist Elizabeth Vizzard found that Thompson understood that Jamie’s murder was a heinous crime.
The defence had commissioned her to testify in the boys’ favour – but she ended up being called by the prosecution because of her damning report.
She said of Thompson: “He knew the difference between right and wrong.”
In the documentary Jamie’s mum Denise said: “When my lads were growing they would have known the difference from right and wrong from a very early age.
“Are they that dumb at ten? An animal killing an animal, a child killing a child, age doesn’t matter.”
Remembering the day the evil pair were found guilty, she said: “Apart from losing James that was the hardest day of my life.”
There were gasps in the courtroom as the verdict was delivered.
Denise said: “I could have grabbed one of them. But what was I going to achieve? It would have me locked up.”
In his sentencing remarks, the judge described James’s killing as “an act of unparalleled”.
But Denise was “disgusted” by the light eight-year sentence which the boys received.
When told by her lawyer that battling to keep the pair in prison would be a “long hard fight”, she said: “Bring it on.”
KILLER’S HOPE
It comes as evil killer Venables has been told his parole case will be heard in the coming weeks.
He hopes it will lead to his release from prison.
Murdered toddler James’ family had hoped a planned law change would have been made by now to potentially block Venables’ release.
James’ mum Denise Fergus, 55, and dad Ralph, 56, have written statements opposing his release.
She said that she “strongly believes” that Venables will kill again if he is released.
Sources said Justice Secretary Alex Chalk shares their view.
Venables, 40, has twice been recalled to jail for possessing child abuse images while out on licence.
But a source said: “Venables is buoyant as he believes this is his best, and possibly his last, chance of freedom.
“He has got the official confirmation and has been working on his presentation to the parole panel.”
But a separate source said: “It is incredibly unlikely Venables will be recommended for release. He’s a chaotic character who has clearly not rehabilitated.”
Two-year-old James was abducted and murdered by Venables and Robert Thompson, then both ten, in Bootle, Merseyside, in 1993.
The Justice Secretary is set to get the power to stop repeat offenders being freed within the Victims and Prisoners Bill early next year.
The Parole Board said it is “following standard procedures” with Venables’ review.
Thompson, 40, has not re-offended since being released on licence when he was 18 years old.
His identity is protected by a worldwide injunction – meaning that even trying to find out where he lives could land you in jail.