James Bulger’s killer Jon Venables to make bid for freedom TODAY in controversial behind-closed-doors parole hearing
JAMES Bulger's evil killer will make a bid for freedom today in a behind-closed-doors parole hearing.
A two-day appeal will determine if Jon Venables can be released from jail after he was locked up for possessing sick child abuse images.
The hearing has already been branded controversial after the Parole Board chair Caroline Corby ruled it would take place in private to protect a lifelong anonymity order given to the monster.
This means even tragic James' family are unable to attend - but their victim impact statements will be read to the court.
The two-year-old's mum Denise Fergus yesterday told how she would "crumble" if the killer was allowed back on the streets as she branded the hearing her "D-day".
Addressing the board directly, she told the : "Look into my eyes and see what I’ve had to deal with for 30 years – three decades of hell. Keep people safe from this monster, because that is what he is, and don’t give him what he wants.
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“If he goes on to commit more crimes after you release him, it will be on your shoulders. So, I’m just asking you to do the right thing.”
Venables and pal Robert Thompson shocked the nation in 1993 when, aged just ten, they abducted and mutilated in Bootle, Merseyside.
They took James to a railway line and tortured, beat and sexually assaulted him.
In November that year, the pair were found guilty of abducting and murdering James - making them the youngest convicted murderers in Britain for 250 years.
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Despite huge opposition, both were released under strict conditions in 2001 and given new identities at a cost of millions to the taxpayer.
Thompson has not re-offended since being released on licence when he was 18 years old.
But Venables has been recalled to jail twice since he was first released.
In 2010, he was caged for three years for possessing indecent images of children.
The killer then returned to jail in November 2017 after further sickening images were found.
Despite this, Venables could be released in just weeks if the parole board give the go-ahead.
A decision usually takes around two weeks from when the hearing finishes.
