Channel 5’s The Killing of James Bulger continues tonight. The two-part documentary tells the definitive story of what happened to the toddler after he was lured away from his mother in a shopping centre by ten-year-old boys, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables.
MORE: Heartbreaking new James Bulger documentary leaves viewers in tears
Viewers have been left in tears watching James’ mother Denise recall the horrific crime which left both the Merseyside community and the world in shock. But where is she now? Keep reading to find out what happened to Denise...
WATCH: James Bulger's mum Denise Fergus on living with the grief of losing a child
James’ mum Denise Bulger, now goes by the name Denise Fergus. Following the horrific events of 1993, she split from James’ father Ralph and remarried. However, before that, the couple had another child together, a son named Michael.
Michael was born ten months after James’ brutal murder, and just weeks after Thompson and Venables’ trial concluded. The two killers were sent to a young offenders' institute, where they stayed until their release at the age of 18 in 2001 with new identities.
MORE: The Killing of James Bulger: Where are Robert Thompson and Jon Venables now?
Talking to The Daily Mail, Denise revealed she believes she wouldn’t be alive today if she hadn't fallen pregnant with Michael. “James was taken in the February and Michael was born that December. I'd just lost a baby and I found myself holding another,” she said.
Denise with James before his death
“Michael got me through the darkest days of my life when I didn't want to live. He gave me the strength to carry on. He wasn't a replacement baby, because I could never replace James.”
A year after her marriage broke down Denise met electrician Stuart Fergus who she went on to marry in 1998. Together, the couple have two sons, Thomas, 22, and Leon, 21. Both boys, as well as 26-year-old Michael feature in the documentary talking about their older brother for the first time.
Michael, Thomas and Leon speak about brother James for the first time in the documentary
Discussing their involvement in the documentary, Denise told The Guardian: “It really did touch me. Seeing my lads – they’ve never spoken like that before. It’s the first time I’ve ever heard them say how they actually felt about James’s death, his murder. It did take me aback quite a bit, hearing how protective they were of me.”
Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.