EXCLUSIVE: James Bulger’s mum vows to find ‘evil’ vandal who destroyed her son’s grave
Denise Fergus warned vandals ‘you will be caught’, after her son James Bulger’s grave was horrifically vandalised in a sick incident earlier this week, with two cherub heads removed
James Bulger’s grave was vandalised on Thursday night(Image: PA)
James Bulger’s heartbroken and furious mother has sent a strong warning to the “evil vandal” who smashed her son’s grave and vowed to “find” them.
Devastated Denise Fergus – whose two-year-old son was kidnapped and brutally murdered in 1993 – revealed she broke down in tears when she saw two cherubs on her boy’s headstone had been destroyed. The mum revealed the heads of the figures on James’ grave were smashed and found on the floor.
Speaking to the Mirror, Denise urged anyone with information on the attack to come forward and warned the vandals she will never stop tracking them down.
The heads of two cherubs on James Bulger’s grave were destroyed(Image: James Bulger Memorial Trust / SWNS)
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The heartbroken mum, speaking exclusively to the Mirror, said: “My message to the despicable, evil person who destroyed my baby’s grave is, ‘I will find you, you will be caught, you will face justice’. I’ll never give up on that. It is truly the most devastating thing to happen to our most sacred of places.”
Denise said their charity was contacted yesterday and told James’ grave was vandalised. The mum said her “heart sank” when she “saw the state of it”. Today, Denise told The Mirror: “This thing that I’ve always cherished about James is grave are the two beautiful cherubs either side of the grave.
Denise Fergus vowed to find who destroyed her son’s grave(Image: CHRIS NEILL)
“They’ve been there for 30 years, they’re so sentimental to me, huge part of my life. If you think about it they’ve been with me much longer than James was with me. When I got out the car and saw what some awful individual had done to his resting place, I just broke down in tears. I was and am absolutely devastated.”
The mum also revealed how the disgusting act has ruined her family’s “sacred day” at the grave on March 16 – James’ birthday – where they gather to remember him.
She added: “One of the most upsetting things for us is that it is James’ birthday in just a couple of weeks’ time. We are meeting someone today to see what can be done to fix it, if anything. But the sad thing is every year on his birthday our family spends very important time going down there, being together and remembering my James.
Pieces of the destroyed grave on the floor(Image: James Bulger Memorial Trust / SWNS)
“This year will not be the same. But this year we will be looking at this grave and seeing what some hideous person has done to my James’ resting place. It is yet another awful blow for us.
“That is our sacred place, a place where we can mourn, a place where I can reflect, remember my boy, but somebody is taking that away for us.”
Two-year-old James was murdered by Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, both aged 10, in Liverpool in 1993. His killers were convicted of murder but released in 2001, aged 18. Thompson has not re-offended, but Venables, both 42, was sent back to jail in 2010 and 2017 after being caught with child sex abuse pictures – he is facing a parole hearing in the coming weeks.
James was abducted from a shopping centre in Bootle, in 1993(Image: Press Association)
Vile thieves also attacked the grave twice in 2022, and Denise added: “It has been targeted before and I’m certain that it’s the same person doing it over and over again. This person has to be caught; they are causing great upset to our life. What individual does this to a baby’s grave?
“We have now had to take everything off the grave because we’re so worried that it will be targeted again. No mother should have to do that. All I’m doing is fighting for justice, running a foundation that gives hope to others who have had terrible times like us, and someone does this. It is absolutely disgusting.”
Denise added that a teddy bear was also missing from her son’s grave, and said: “Another thing that went missing was a yellow transformer bear called Bill the Bear that was in a bag. If anyone in that area so someone walking away with either the bear or a bag, then we urge them to come forward. This has to stop.”
Merseyside Police said it is appealing for information on the vandalised grave and has asked anyone with information to contact the police. Local Policing Inspector Chris Taylor said: “We are taking this matter extremely seriously and remain determined to find the person or people responsible.”
If you have information about the vandal please contact Merseyside police, on 101 or DM @MerpolCC on social media, quoting reference number 26000159300, or anonymously through Crimestoppers. People can also contact the James Bulger Memorial Trust on [email protected].
