Who would desecrate the grave of little James Bulger, one of Britain’s most horrific murder victims? A sick 78-year-old man from Kirkby might hold the answer after being arrested this weekend over a second attack on the toddler’s memorial in six weeks.
Grave Vandalised Again: Cherubs Beheaded and Teddy Stolen
The vandalism took place at Kirkdale Cemetery in Liverpool, where the heads of two marble cherub statues were brutally “scythed off” and stolen. These cherubs had only just been repaired following an earlier attack in February, funded by public donations. In a cruel twist, a teddy bear was also taken from James Bulger’s gravesite. James’s mother, Denise Fergus, has made a heartfelt plea on social media for the return of the stolen cherub heads.
The Horror of James Bulger’s Murder
James Bulger was just two years old when he was snatched in 1993 from The New Strand shopping centre, Bootle, by two 10-year-old boys, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables. The toddlers led James on a 2.5-mile horrific walk across Liverpool to Walton’s railway line, where they brutally attacked him with bricks, stones, and a 10kg iron bar. To hide their crime, they left his battered body on the railway tracks, hoping a passing train would mask their brutality. Forensic evidence revealed he had died from the savage assault before the train hit him. The pathologist’s report was chilling:
- 10 skull fractures from the iron bar
- Severe brain damage and internal bleeding
- Bruising and deep marks from kicks
- Blue modelling paint thrown into his eye
- Batteries shoved into his mouth
- His body severed in two by the train after death
Justice and Aftermath: Where Are Thompson and Venables Now?
James’s mum and family face ongoing pain, even 30 years on, as his grave is still targeted by vandals. The arrested man’s motive remains unclear, but mental health issues are suspected given the incomprehensible nature of the attack. Jon Venables is currently behind bars again. After his release in 2001 under a new identity, he was recalled twice for possessing child abuse images—in 2010 and 2017—and has repeatedly failed parole hearings since. Robert Thompson, released in 2001 at age 18, remains free. Disturbingly, he has said that killing James “gave him a better life.” The saga of young James Bulger remains one of the darkest and most tragic in British criminal history—and even decades later, the pain and indignities continue.
