Latest news with #JamesRiley
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Man who 'got involved with the wrong crowd' after he found the body of murdered toddler James Bulger died in a police cell
Man who 'got involved with the wrong crowd' after he found the body of murdered toddler James Bulger died in a police cell The man who found James Bulger's body very likely swallowed packages of drugs before his death in custody, an inquest found. James Riley, 44, was arrested on suspicion of drug offences near Chapel Gardens, Liverpool, on March 14, 2023. The man, who had been confined in a cell overnight, was found lying on the floor and later pronounced dead at Royal Liverpool University Hospital the next evening. His cause of death was cocaine and heroin toxicity, senior coroner Andre Rebello concluded at a jury inquest held at the Gerard Majella courthouse in Kirkdale. Mr Riley had endured an 'extremely traumatic incident' as a teenager, in which he found the body of murdered toddler James, the Liverpool Echo revealed after the inquest. The inquest explored whether medical assessments of Mr Riley - carried out at the police station - and the decision not to take him to hospital prior to his collapse added to his cause of death, the Echo reported. Opening the case this month, Mr Rebello told the jury that Mr Riley was arrested shortly before 10pm by two officers. James Riley, 44, (pictured) was arrested on suspicion of drug offences near Chapel Gardens, Liverpool, on March 14, 2023 He was transported to St Anne Street Police Station, where his detention was authorised. The custody sergeant ruled Mr Riley was intoxicated and he was placed on a rest period until the next morning. He was seen by a healthcare professional shortly before 10am, who noted his presentation implied he possibly self-medicated in custody. A strip search was then authorised but nothing was found in Mr Riley's possession. He was placed on another rest period of four hours and was was removed shortly after 2pm. He was returned to his cell at 3.22pm, before a detention officer spotted him lying on the floor just before 5pm. An ambulance was called and the man was rushed to the Royal Liverpool University Hospital for 5.47pm. He reportedly arrived in cardiac arrest and was sadly pronounced dead at 6.15pm. Mr Riley had endured an 'extremely traumatic incident' as a teenager, in which he found the body of murdered toddler James Bulger (pictured), the Liverpool Echo revealed after the inquest A post-mortem examination found three packages of heroin in Mr Riley's stomach, as well as a small block of unpackaged crack cocaine. His mother Julie Riley said that after he found the toddler James's body, 'he should have had support from Merseyside Police, but he was forgotten about'. Mrs Riley added that after the experience her son 'got involved with the wrong crowd', adding: 'It's hard to get out once you are in it.' Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, both aged 10, snatched innocent two-year-old James from outside a butcher's shop in Bootle, Merseyside. After abducting James, the pair led the toddler on a two-and-a-half mile walk from the city of Liverpool to a village called Walton. On their way to the village, the three were seen by 38 people, two of whom queried the boys as the young boy was in tears with a bump on his head. Later the pair brutally tortured and killed the toddler, leaving James' mutilated body to be found two days later on a railway line in Walton.
Daily Record
22-05-2025
- Daily Record
Man who found James Bulger body died after 'swallowing packets of drugs' before arrest
James Riley was pronounced dead in hospital after being discovered unresponsive on the floor of his cell hours after he was arrested by officers on suspicion of drug offences. The man who discovered the body of little James Bulger as a teenager died in custody years later after r eportedly swallowing packets of drugs. James Riley, 44, was pronounced dead in hospital after being discovered unresponsive on the floor of his cell hours after he was arrested by officers on suspicion of drug offences. A jury inquest heard before Liverpool and Wirral senior coroner André Rebello, held over six days at the Gerard Majella courthouse in Kirkdale, concluded Mr Riley's medical cause of death was cocaine and heroin toxicity. The inquest was called to look into if the decision not to take Mr Riley to hospital on the day of his arrest before he collapsed contributed to his cause of death. The court also heard Mr Riley suffered an "extremely traumatic incident" when he was a teenager, which was confirmed to his finding of the body of toddler James previous appearances in court, Mr Riley's defence said he suffered with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of finding James' body. Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, both aged 11, were found guilty in 1993 of killing the two-year-old. Mr Rebello told the jury that Mr Riley was arrested at around 8:46pm by two offcers Arresting officer PC Graeme Hurd told the court he bserved Mr Riley on a pedal cycle and concluded he "looked like he was in possession of what I thought was going to be drugs". PC Hurd, who is part of a Matrix unit which specialised in disrupting organised crime, said he made the decision to use force to apprehend Mr Riley and decided to make contact with the front wheel of his bike with the front of his car. The Merseyside cop said this was "less risk to everybody". The court heard PC Hrd made contact with the bike with the "force equivalent of pushing someone off the bike". Mr Riley was eventually rugby tackled to the ground by PC Hurd and was arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply after he was found with "three large bags of brown powder", the ECHO reported. Mr Riley's detention was authorised at the St Anne Street Police Station. A ustody sergeant determined he was intoxicated and he was placed on a rest period until the following morning. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Shortly before 10am, Mr Riley was seen by a healthcare professional, who noted that his presentation suggested he may have self-medicated in custody. A strip search was conducted but nothing was found. Later, after a further four hour rest period was authorised after 2pm, Mr Riley was returned to his cell at 3.22pm. A detention officer saw him lying on the floor at 4.57pm. Staff were called to the cell and the healthcare professional administered naloxone to reverse the effects of opiates and diazepam to prevent further seizures. An ambulance was called and Mr Riley arrived at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital at 5.47pm. He arrived in cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead at 6.15pm. A post-mortem examination by the Home Office found Mr Riley had three packafes of heroin and a small block of unpackaged crack cociane in his stomach. Dr Matthew Lyall, who carried out the post-mortem, also found a piece of plastic wrapping in his airway which, more likely than not, moved during resuscitation attempts. The inquest found that the reason for Mr Riley's presentation at various points on the day of his collapse can be established, but can't be said to have contributed to his death. The medical assessments carried out on the day of his collapse may have presented a missed opportunity, but can't be said to have contributed to his death. "On the balance of probabilities, it is more likely than not, that James swallowed the drugs before his arrival in custody," the inquest concluded. "The drugs concealed within James's stomach are, more likely than not, the source of the fatal drug toxicity." The inquest was attended by Mr Riley's mum Julie, who prepared a statement with Mr Rebello about her son. The court heard Mr Riley was"well mannered and dressed lovely" when he was a boy. He had three younger siblings and was particularly close to his brother Terence, with his mum describing the pair as "loveable rogues".
