Jon Venables ‘lost the plot’ when he was told his parole was refused
Venables was 10 years old when he was jailed for murdering James in 1993 - but he's since been imprisoned twice more for possessing indecent images of children.
James Bulger killer Jon Venables ’lost the plot’ and was ‘screaming and shouting’ when he was told his parole bid had failed, a source has claimed.
Venables was 10 years old when he was jailed for murdering James in 1993 – but he’s since been imprisoned twice more for possessing indecent images of children.
His most recent bid to apply for parole failed yesterday – and a source told The Sun Venables ‘lost the plot’ and ‘went mad, shouting and screaming’ when he was told the news.
The parole board ruled that the public and children would not be safe if Venables, who’s now 41, was released – and said he had not been ‘open and honest’ with probation workers.
James Bulger’s dad Ralph shared his relied that Venables would not be released, saying: ‘I’m just grateful children are spared from being put at danger from Venables. I can breathe easier knowing he is staying behind bars.
‘They have admitted he hasn’t told the truth which we have said for years. And it will be the same the next time he applies for parole.’
Venables will be able to reapply for parole, but a new bill expected to pass early next year will make it easier to stop repeat offenders from being released.
Venables along with friend Robert Thompson abducted two-year-old James Bulger from the New Strand Shopping Centre in Merseyside on February 12, 1993, before torturing and murdering him.
His body was found on a railway line two-and-a-half miles away in Walton two days later.
Later that month both Venables and Thompson were charged with abduction and murder, and were found guilty on November 24 – making them the youngest convicted murderers in British history.
They were given indefinite prison sentences, but both were released in 2001, aged 18, and were given new identities following the huge outrage over the murder.
Thompson hasn’t reoffended since his release, but Venables was recalled to prison in February 2010 after indecent images of children were found on his computer.
He was released in August 2013, but was recalled to prison again in November 2017 for the same offence.
Venables was last considered for parole in September 2020, which was denied, and his most recent bid for release has now also been refused.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.