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Unlike Jon Venables, supposed ringleader Robert Thompson hasn’t reoffended(Image: PA)

On a brisk February morning in 1993, 10-year-old Robert Thompson and his friend Jon Venables bunked off school and headed to the New Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle, Merseyside. Their mugshots, taken a matter of days later, would soon rank among the most notoriously chilling of the 20th century.

Also shopping at New Strand that day was a then-25-year-old Denise Fergus, accompanied by her son, James Bulger, an adorable two-year-old with a sunny grin. The pair walked into A.R. Tym’s butcher’s shop hand in hand, where Denise picked up two chops for tea.

Rummaging in her purse for change, Denise momentarily let go of James’s hand. It was a split second that would haunt her forever. As captured in harrowing CCTV footage, Thompson and Venables led the younger boy away from his mother and out of the shopping centre, towards a railway embankment in Walton.

It was here that the two older children tortured the defenceless toddler to death, in an act that sentencing judge, Mr Justice Morland, would later describe as an act of “unparalleled evil and barbarity”. Both boys were sent to separate secure units, Thompson to Barton Moss outside Manchester, and Venables to Vardy House in Red Bank.

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The 10-year-old killers were sent to separate secure units(Image: PA)

At the age of 18, both killers were released with new identities and the opportunity to rebuild their lives away from the shadow of their own infamy. Venables’ subsequent reoffences have sparked widespread debate over whether those who commit such depraved crimes, even at such a shockingly young age, can ever be rehabilitated.

Viewed as the impressionable follower of the two, Venables wept every day during their three-week trial at Preston Crown Court, in stark contrast to Thompson, referred to “the one that did not cry”. Venables, whose upcoming parole hearing has sparked fresh anguish for James’s family, spiralled into paedophilia as an adult, returning to prison in 2010 and 2017 for possessing child sex abuse images. But supposed ringleader Thompson is not known to have offended again. Here, the Mirror takes a look at Thompson’s life behind bars, which he would later claim made him a “better person”.

Constant notes and strict routine

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A still from footage of James Bulger being lured away by his killers(Image: Channel 5)

The Times reports that during their time inside, every detail of the boys’ lives had been recorded on running sheets twice a day, complete with staff signatures. Notes were stored at the respective units and were also copied to Whitehall officials monitoring the case. And all the while, similarly to regular youngsters, there were classes to attend.

The Guardian reports that in June 2001, both Thompson and Venables would have had to adhere to a strict regime at their respective units, rising at 7 am to start their, often one-to-one lessons, which would continue until 3.15 pm.

A frequent truant prior to his conviction, this would prove to be a stark contrast to Thompson’s “feral” old life. Evenings were made up of counselling sessions, playing games and watching TV, then it was lights out time at 10 pm. While he had failed to thrive academically at his school in Liverpool, Thompson did well at Barton Moss, achieving five GCSEs and several A-levels.

Shopping trips and pub visits

Like other school-aged boys his age, Thompson would have enjoyed treats, including lie-ins at the weekend, and even trips outside the walls of the unit, which occurred as frequently as once a week. In his youth, Thompson was taken out shopping in Sheffield and Manchester, attended Shakespeare plays and ice hockey matches, and was even taken to the pub.

At Christmastime and on birthdays, Thompson received small cash gifts, while his response to therapy was rewarded with greater opportunities to interact with the outside world, which was viewed as an important step for preparing the offender for adult life that awaited beyond his sentence. Dominic Lloyd, a solicitor representing Thompson, noted: “Can you imagine what coming out would be like if they hadn’t gone on those trips? They would not know how to cope.”

Romance inside

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Thompson developed an interest in fashion design at Barton Moss(Image: Press Association)

Regarded as a creative boy with a notable flair for fashion design, Thompson threw himself into artistic projects with the unit. This included the creation of a wedding dress he’d cut and sewn himself, under the instruction to make “an object of beauty”. He also showed an interest in animals and birds, helping to feed those kept at the unit.

Reports from his unit, his probation officer and a psychological dossier point towards Thompson having made progress inside, having come to terms with the dreadful things he’d done while keen to move forward. However, it’s said to have taken several years of therapy before Thompson admitted to his part in the killing of James.

Described as slightly awkward but caring, with a schoolboy sense of humour, it was remarked that boredom had led to Thompson overeating, resulting in him being slightly overweight. He’d also embarked on a relationship with a girl at the mixed sex unit, which came to an end after she went to live with foster parents.

Mysterious life now and new partner

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Thompson went on to have a steady job and long-term partner(Image: PA)

An attempt by the Bulger family’s lawyers to show that Thompson was an undiagnosed psychopath was dismissed by the parole panel, and in June 2001, the board ruled that both he and Venables were no longer a threat to public safety and fit for release, with their minimum tariff having expired in February of that year.

This decision was approved by then Home Secretary David Blunkett, and just a few weeks later, the then 18-year-olds were released on lifelong licence, having served eight years. Both boys were reportedly “given new identities and moved to secret locations under a ‘witness protection-like’ programme”, supported by fabricated passports, national insurance numbers, qualification certificates, and medical records.

Adding his own conditions to their licence, Blunkett insisted on being updated on the boys’ actions daily and ordered that they adhere to strict release terms. Under these terms, they were forbidden to contact each other or the Bulger family, and were not allowed to return to the Merseyside area. Any breach of these rules could mean a return to prison.

Nowadays, Thompson continues living under an assumed identity, with his whereabouts unknown to the general public. Back in 2006, it was reported that Thompson, who is reportedly in a steady job, was settled down and in a long-term relationship with a boyfriend – believed to be aware of his true identity.

Apology to Bulger family

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In an apology to the Bulger family, Thompson said he was ‘desperately sorry’ for James’s murder(Image: PA)

In 2018, a Channel 5 documentary, James Bulger: The New Revelations, revealed Thompson’s statement to the parole board ahead of his 2001 release for the first time. In this statement, Thompson claimed he was a “better person” because of his eight years in detention, and apologised for the murder of James. Thompson said, “At that time of my life, I was completely out of control and spending time with a group of friends whose main occupation was committing crimes and causing trouble. I was out of control because my life on the streets was better for me than my life at home – there was nothing for me at home.”

He continued: “I do feel aware that I am now a better person and have had a better life and a better education than if I had not committed the murder. There is obviously an irony to this, but it is part of my remorseful feelings as well. I, personally, wish Mr and Mrs Bulger and their families to know that I am desperately sorry for what I did, and aware of the enormity of what I did.

“Mr and Mrs Bulger have made statements in the press indicating that they would view any statement of remorse by me as a cynical manoeuvre to secure my release. It is difficult, given that, to see how I could ever communicate my remorse in an effective way.” Thompson also told the parole board: “I am deeply ashamed of what I did, and of having played a part in this horrible murder.” However, James’ dad Ralph said these were “false words”, adding: “I’ll never accept that either of these two is sorry for what they done.”

Thompson previously stated that when he and Venables left the shopping centre that terrible day, he “became aware Jon Venables had a little boy with him”. Remarking upon CCTV images showing James being taken away, Thompson stated: “I very much regret that I did nothing to stop it at this time and the sight of those photographs fills me with shame and revulsion.”

Denying he and Venables sexually assaulted James before killing him, he added: “Jon Venables and I did not speak to each other at all, as I remember, during the attack. And we didn’t speak about it after we left James Bulger on the railway line.”

Thompson also admitted that he had not owned up to the crime at the time as he’d been afraid of reprisals. Recalling his and Venables’s first court appearance, he remembered: “I could hear people shouting and chanting, ‘Hang the bastards’ and screaming at the policemen to ‘Hand them over’.”