Advertisement

James Bulger killer Jon Venables ‘applies to be allowed home for Christmas’

Jon Venables was 10 years old when he murdered James Bulger (Picture: Getty)
Jon Venables was 10 years old when he murdered James Bulger (Picture: Getty)

Jon Venables has applied to leave prison to go home for Christmas, it has been reported.

Venables, along with Robert Thompson, tortured and killed two-year-old James Bulger in Liverpool in 1993 when they were 10 years old.

According to the Daily Star Sunday, Venables has recently requested special leave to go home for the Christmas holidays.

By Christmas, he will have served 13 months of a three-year prison sentence for possessing child pornography and will be eligible for parole next year.

James Bulger’s grave in Liverpool (Picture: PA)
James Bulger’s grave in Liverpool (Picture: PA)

All prisoners can apply for “release on temporary licence” to go home for five days over Christmas every year.

It is only given to inmates who are no longer regarded as a threat to society and who are nearing the end of their sentences.

A source told the newspaper that Venables, who has a new identity, rarely leaves his cell, and that he may be attacked if other inmates discover who he is.

It reported that he suffers from depression and anxiety and has a team of guards who monitor his security.

READ MORE FROM YAHOO NEWS UK:

Girl who died after eating Pret baguette’s last words as she struggled for breath
Police officers deliver baby after mum-to-be goes into labour on London high street
‘Serious disruption to food supplies’ after no-deal Brexit, government advice reveals
Parts of England ready for Indian summer as temperatures could hit 22c

The source said: “Venables wants to get out of prison as soon as possible.

“He will apply for Christmas leave and early parole – anything to get himself away from other inmates.

“Venables is treated as someone who was found guilty of child porn.

“He is not treated as a killer because he has done his time for that sentence.

“He is a loner who rarely associates with other prisoners. Only a few members of staff know his real identity.”

The two-year-old was murdered 25 years ago (Picture: PA)
The two-year-old was murdered 25 years ago (Picture: PA)

After being convicted of murdering James Bulger, Venables and Thompson were imprisoned, only to be released in 2001 after serving eight years. The pair were issued new identities.

In 2010, Venables was sentenced to two years in prison after he was convicted of downloading and distributing child pornography. In 2013, it was reported he had been released from prison.

However, in February 2018, he was sentenced to three years in prison for possessing images of child abuse.