The Bulger Murder: Police say boys were 'evil freaks fixated on killing'

THE BOYS at the centre of the James Bulger murder trial are evil freaks of human nature, who were fixated on killing and causing disaster, according to detectives who came to know both youngsters during long interviews with them.

If they had escaped detection they could have grown up into people like the Kray Twins, Sergeant Phil Roberts said. 'I believe human nature spurts out freaks. These two were freaks who just found each other. You should not compare these two boys with other boys - they were evil.'

They carried out the murder because they had a fixation about causing tragedy or disaster. Robert Thompson, known throughout the trial as Child A, hoped to get a 'buzz' from killing James and getting away with it. 'The other kick was fooling the public and the police,' he added.

Sgt Roberts recalled a terrible, chilling smile of Thompson's which shocked detectives. As the boys were leaving Bootle magistrates' court, Merseyside, after police applied for an extended warrant of detention, 'Thompson looked at Venables and smiled. It was a cold smile - an evil smile. I believe the smile said they knew they were responsible . . . and thought they were going to get away with it,' he said.

Constable George Scott also remembered the smile. 'As Thompson came out of the court, there was eye contact between the two. There was an uncanny grin directed at Venables. There was obviously still something of a bond, despite the two saying they didn't want anything more to do with each other.'

He added: 'I believe the two were fixated with causing a disaster which only they would know about - which to the public would look like an ordinary accident.'

Sgt Roberts said that Thompson had believed he would get away with it. 'They didn't have the intelligence, or didn't understand, we could identify the difference between murder and accident. But it was a kick for them, a buzz, knowing that they were responsible.'

Sgt Roberts, who attended interviews with Thompson, said: 'He had two personalities - one was evil and one was good. He could easily portray himself as a nice boy. He had a good-looking smile.' Thompson's evil side showed up when he was asked difficult questions: 'He had that glare in his eye which is difficult to explain.' Thompson was afraid of only two things - one was telling the truth and the other was giving blood at a police medical examination. 'He was not afraid of me. He is not afraid of anybody as far as I can see. He has a strong character.'

Sgt Roberts said that Thompson was quite an intelligent boy - 'very streetwise' - who was the ringleader. 'At no time was he bad- tempered with me, although he questioned what I said.'

Thompson's mother realised her son was involved on the second day of interviews, he believed. But she did not have the character to cope with it. 'There didn't appear to be that much love between Thompson and his mother,' Sgt Roberts went on. 'I don't think she was used to being touched or hugged or loved. She used to cower in the corner crying. She was afraid . . . she thought she was going to be attacked by the general public and police.'

PC Scott was present when Jon Venables was arrested. The boy started to cry and his mother comforted him. Venables later broke down and confessed after his mother told him his parents loved him. But, in interviews, Venables's father tried to block out what was said: 'He sat with his fingers in his ears and eyes shut,' PC Scott said. 'He didn't want to hear his son had committed this crime. Venables kept looking at his father for some reassurance, but the reassurance was not there.' Instead, Venables turned to a policeman for comfort, putting his arms around him.

(Photograph omitted)