Man who found James Bulger’s body says discovery led him to life of crime

‘After that day James went off the rails and Terence’s personality changed totally. We hardly see him these days, but we know it was finding James’s body that changed him.  Every night I pray for little James, but I also pray for my grandsons.’On Tuesday Liverpool Crown Court heard how Terence, recently of Vauxhall, Liverpool, led police on a high-speed chase across Merseyside last April 9.  It ended with him losing control and crashing head-on into another car, injuring Darren Evans, Tina Barnes and their 11-year-old son. Prosecutor Derek Jones said they led police on a chase going at 50mph in a 20mph zone before the crash. Terence, who suffered a lump to his head, ran away but was caught by an officer and admitted: ‘I was at a party. I’m high!’.  A swab showed the presence of cocaine and, when he asked about the boy’s condition, Terence described himself as a ‘scumbag’. He admitted dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and failing to provide a blood sample. Louise Santamera, defending Terence, said he woke up at his girlfriend’s feeling unwell, after going out to watch the Grand National. She said he ‘recklessly’ decided to drive home in her car and ‘panicked’ when he saw police because of his road ban. Ms Santamera said: ‘Mr Riley is very sorry. He was particularly anxious about the young boy.’ He denied saying he was ‘high’ and said he refused to give a blood sample because of a phobia of needles. Ms Santamera said: ‘He has recently become a father, something that has filled him with joy, and as he put it, is ‘motivation to get my life on the straight and narrow.’