What happened to the boy who killed James Bulger
The Story
The Times
3.9 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 14 December 2023
⏱️ 38 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Jon Venables was ten years old when he and another boy tortured and killed two year old James Bulger. He’s now been refused parole on his imprisonment for a separate charge. So how did he end up here? Did he get a fair trial in the first place? And are we getting it right when it comes to our treatment of children who kill?
This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.
Guest: David James Smith, Sunday Times contributor and author of The Sleep of Reason: The James Bulger Case.
Host: Luke Jones.
Producer: Olivia Case.
Clips: ITN / Getty, Channel 4, BBC, Merseyside Police, Eyes of the Detective / Teresa Hunt / BBC, TalkTV, Liverpool Lullaby / Martin Wallace / Channel 4, CBS.
Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk
Find out more about our Apple bonus series: 'Inside the Newsroom'
This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Try royal opera house stream this Christmas for just one pound and watch enchanting productions including the nutcracker |
| 0:07.0 | enjoy unlimited access to over 80 extraordinary ballets, operas and exclusive behind-the-scenes features. |
| 0:15.0 | Sign up for Royal Opera House Stream now with your first month for just one pound. |
| 0:19.0 | For details, visit R.OH.org org UK forward slash offer. |
| 0:23.0 | One pound for the first month after 14 free days |
| 0:26.2 | and 999 a month thereafter, |
| 0:28.0 | cancel any time T's and sees apply. |
| 0:30.1 | They're not authors, but they help you shape your financial story. |
| 0:34.0 | They're not an airline, but they connect global businesses across nearly 160 local markets. |
| 0:40.0 | They're not interpreters that they listen to and understand their client's needs. |
| 0:44.8 | With global expertise and over two centuries of experience, |
| 0:48.5 | Citi provides tools, insights and guidance that helps clients thrive. |
| 0:53.0 | They're not just any bank. |
| 0:55.0 | They are city. |
| 0:57.0 | Learn more at city.com slash we are city. |
| 1:00.0 | A warning this pog. City. |
| 1:04.0 | A warning, this podcast contains details about the torture and death of a toddler, |
| 1:08.0 | which some listeners may find disturbing. living. I'm looking at some grainy 30 year old CCTV |
| 1:25.8 | four still images of a reasonably normal looking Friday afternoon |
| 1:30.3 | in a shopping center. |
| 1:31.9 | In the middle of the picture walking away from the camera are. in a young child. The other two aren't adults but it's not clear how old they might be. |
| 1:44.3 | One of them is in the lead and the other is following close behind holding the |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Times, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of The Times and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.