The man who found the body of murdered toddler James Bulger very likely swallowed packages of drugs before his death in custody, an inquest found. James Riley's life came to a tragic end after he was arrested on suspicion of drug offences near Chapel Gardens, Liverpool on March 14, 2023. He was found lying on the floor of the cell he was confined to overnight a day later . The 44-year-old was rushed to Royal Liverpool University Hospital but was pronounced dead a short time later. Mr Riley was involved in the "extremely traumatic" discovery of the murdered toddler's body when he was a teenager, a jury inquest heard this week. His mother Julie Riley told the inquest her son "should have had support from Merseyside Police, but he was forgotten about". She added that after the grim discovery he "got involved with the wrong crowd" and "it's hard to get out once you are in it." Opening the case on May 12, Mr Rebello told the 11-person jury of six men and five women that Mr Riley was arrested at around 9.45pm by two officers, reports the Echo . The court heard from arresting officer, police constable Graeme Hurd, who said he was part of a Matrix unit which specialised in disrupting organised crime. He observed 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 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. He told the inquest this decision was "less risk to everybody". The court heard he made contact with the bike, which was 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 court heard Mr Riley was also in possession of a "tick list", a Samsung "personal phone" and a Nokia which was dropped earlier in the proceedings. PC Hurd said he asked Mr Riley "are you in the s*** now", because he believed the man would be "potentially under threat" over the lost drugs. The court heard Mr Riley responded "not half". He was taken to St Anne Street Police Station, where his detention was authorised. The custody sergeant determined Mr Riley was intoxicated and he was placed on a rest period until the following morning. 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 authorised but nothing was found. He was placed on a further rest period of four hours and was interested shortly after 2pm. He was returned to his cell at 3.22pm, before 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 Home Office post-mortem examination was carried out by Dr Matthew Lyall, who found three packages of heroin in Mr Riley's stomach, along with a small block of unpackaged crack cocaine. There was also 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. The inquest also found that the fact Mr Riley was taken to hospital prior to his collapse can't be said to have contributed to his death. The inquest concluded: "On the balance of probabilities, it is more likely than not, that James swallowed the drugs before his arrival in custody. The drugs concealed within James's stomach are, more likely than not, the source of the fatal drug toxicity." It was previously reported that Mr Riley had led a life of crime and had been convicted more than 40 times for a range of offences. His family previously said this was a result of him discovering James' body with brother Terence Riley on a railway line in 1993 when he was just 14. James was tortured and murdered by 10-year-old boys Jon Venables and Robert Thompson who led him away from his mum at Bootle Strand shopping centre. Venables and Thompson became the country's youngest killers when they were convicted. During his appearances in court, Mr Riley's defence told the court he suffered with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of finding James' body. 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". Mrs Riley's statement said her son was "funny, bubbly and cheeky" and recalled a fond memory of when he was around 10 years old and dressed as Shirley Bassey during a caravan holiday. The mum added: "He was such a character... we have so many happy memories." The mum said after he found the toddler's body, "he should have had support from Merseyside Police, but he was forgotten about." Mrs Riley said after the experience her son "got involved with the wrong crowd" and added: "It's hard to get out once you are in it." However, she said her son remained a "happy go lucky person who always had a smile on his face". The mum added he was "an incredible cook" and loved to watch Liverpool FC on the sofa with her. The statement finished: "I speak to a photo of him every night – I miss him so much." For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here .