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A Chilling Cut-Throat Defence: Jon Venables Vs. Robert Thompson | James Bulger: The Trial

Channel 5

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The story of the murder trial of Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, the two ten-year-old killers of toddler James Bulger. Using transcripts from the trial, first-hand testimony of those who were in the court room, and reconstruction of key moments in court, this feature-length documentary reveals the prosecution's strategy to prove that both boys were as guilty as each other. With contributions from the prosecution and defence teams, journalists and James Bulger's mother.

James Bulger: The Trial: The true story of what happened in court - from lawyers, jurors and James Bulger's mother.

G+ Contains discussions of violence and death of a child

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20 Comments

@LisaTilley-w9n 5 months ago

The biggest miscarriage of justice in British history that neither of these murderers served a day in prison for what they did to James.

@sharfalor4244 5 months ago

Venables need the Ian Huntley treatment.

@LiverLad79 5 months ago

Poor Denise and Ralph and all their families! Denise was 100% correct, those two were rewarded not punished! It’s sickening!

@TheHistorian1914 3 months ago

The sad truth is that baby James never did get the justice he deserved.

@nicolanewall550 5 months ago (edited)

They should on NEVER been let out
It’s disgusting new identity and moved to new location its absolutely disgraceful

@bereal6590 5 months ago

This trial should have been a turning point as to how dysfunctional families should receive intervention, a coordination of social services, schools, police and support to prevent children becoming like this. How many lives would have been saved if the resources were there and coordinated.

@bereal6590 5 months ago

I can't imagine how his mum made it through this. If I think about it just for a second im in tears. It's unimaginable pain. His parents like other parents loosing children in horrific circumstances have more strength than I could muster. I'd not make it. The parents of these two young lads should have been investigated more!

@BlytheWorld1972 5 months ago

I am glad Denise never read her old impact statement out i personally could have not listened to it Rip James. my thoughts are always with him mum and the ones who loved James.

@ruthjarvis1933 5 months ago

Children killing children, beyond grim. RIP James.

@delphinium5555 5 months ago (edited)

My heart goes out to his parents. My child died, I know how it feels to suffer the devastating loss yet this is an unimaginable horror no-one should live through. Rest in peace little James. You are never forgotten.

@susanmcdermott3668 5 months ago

The pair of them should have been put into prison when they reached the age of 18 and made to serve life.

@lucyreed1976 5 months ago

JV has clearly always had an interest in children which persists to this day, with his continued child abuse related offending. He should never get out. Surely IPP type sentences should have been reserved for the likes of him …

@deboraholcot4630 5 months ago

rest in peace james.

@alison-stones 5 months ago

Tears throughout this whole documentary. But I involuntarily gasped and my jaw dropped when I heard the length of the sentence. I'm only slightly younger than James would have been, so any news I heard I always assumed their sentence was much longer and James' mother was fighting to keep them in prison for life. 8 years!?! What an absolute joke. James Patrick Bulger you are forever in our hearts and I wish nothing more than that this never happened to you.

@twwdc 4 months ago

It seems clear in hindsight that Robert was far more JUST a product of his childhood than Venables was. One has reoffeneded and has something deeper wrong, one has not reoffened and by the limited accounts available simply needed what, ironically, juvenile detention provided when his parents couldn't. However, being a product, or not, of one's childhood does not mitigate doing wrong. They DID know right from wrong and they chose to commit a grave wrong.

@wobby1516 5 months ago (edited)

My heart goes out to James mother and Father, I can’t imagine the torment they have gone through since their little boy was abducted. As I wright this tear well up in my eyes at the thought of how much pain this poor family has and quite possibly is going through. May little James RIP. ♥️

@basil_pinenuts 5 months ago

This is the one case I struggle to listen to the details of, it absolutely breaks me what James went through 💔

@realLsf 5 months ago

Even after 30 years it still hit hard. I just cannot get my head around two, ten year old boys beating a baby to death with a brick & an iron bar. It's a cliche, but evil is the only word to describe them & even that's not sufficient