Jump directly to the content
'I LET GO JUST FOR A MOMENT'

James Bulger’s mum Denise Fergus relives moment Jon Venables and Robert Thompson snatched her son in heartbreaking interview with Trevor McDonald

James Bulger's mum Denise speaks to Sir Trevor McDonald in a documentary

JAMES Bulger’s mum has relived the moment she lost him in a Liverpool shopping centre after letting go of his hand to pay in a shop.

Speaking in a new documentary, Denise Fergus revealed how she let go of the toddler’s hand for just a few seconds before he wandered off.

 James Bulger's mum Denise speaks to Sir Trevor McDonald in a documentary
5
James Bulger's mum Denise speaks to Sir Trevor McDonald in a documentaryCredit: ITV

She recalled: “He was out of his buggy – James was never out of his buggy so he felt a bit of freedom.

“I let go of his hand just for a moment to get my purse out of my bag.”

Denise told how she ran from shop to shop asking people if they had seen her little boy.

But the tragic tot was nowhere to be found.

 Chilling CCTV shows the little boy being led away by two other children
5
Chilling CCTV shows the little boy being led away by two other childrenCredit: BWP Media
 Jamie Bulger was abducted and murdered by two 10-year-olds in 1993
5
Jamie Bulger was abducted and murdered by two 10-year-olds in 1993Credit: PA:Press Association
Denise Fergus​ tells Trevor McDonald that she still sets ​an ​empty chair at dinner table for ​her ​murdered son James Bulger​ ​

She said: "I was that distraught that one of the staff said to me, 'calm down, come and have a cup of coffee'.

"And I said to him, 'a cup of coffee isn’t going to help me get my son back'."

Denise invited Sir Trevor McDonald into her home, where she discussed her young son's horrific murder.

In the deeply personal interview Denise opened up - not only about the day that changed her life forever - but about the eternity of a mother’s love.

Sharing memories, family photos and videos, Denise remembered James fondly as "so loving - he was always laughing".

She added: "He loved listening to music. He was just a lovely little boy."

 Jon Venables is seen after he was arrested for the murder of James by cops
5
Jon Venables is seen after he was arrested for the murder of James by copsCredit: Handout
 Robert Thompson was sentenced to eight years in prison for the shocking crime
5
Robert Thompson was sentenced to eight years in prison for the shocking crimeCredit: BWP Media
Denise Fergus ​​shows previously unseen family photos of her murdered two-year-old son for a new documentary ​'​James Bulger: A Mother's Story with Trevor McDonald​'​

She also told of her anger at the sentence her son’s killers received and the painful years she’s spent fighting for the justice she feels James has never had.

As well as featuring Denise’s full and frank testimony, Trevor spoke to key figures in Liverpool to gain a vivid insight into a case that continues to raise so many troubling questions.

In February 1993, two-year-old James was abducted from a shopping centre in Liverpool and brutally murdered.

The culprits were two ten-year-old boys - Jon Venables and Robert Thompson - who were sentenced to just eight years for the crime.

They were also granted anonymity once they were released, meaning the public would never know who they are.

Crime & Punishment season continues on ITV as Trevor McDonald meets Denise Fergus, the mother of James Bulger


We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.’


 

Topics