Overview

• James Riley, 44, died in March 2023 after being arrested on suspicion of drug offences and held overnight in a Liverpool police cell.
• A jury inquest determined Riley's death resulted from cocaine and heroin toxicity caused by drug packages he swallowed before his arrest.
• The coroner found that police medical assessments and the decision not to hospitalize Riley did not contribute to his death.
• Riley had a history of PTSD and depression, linked to discovering the body of murdered toddler James Bulger in 1993 as a teenager.
• His mother criticized the lack of institutional support following the traumatic event, which she said led to his struggles with crime and substance abuse.