A bodybuilder ex-cop who kneed and punched tragic Andre Moura after saying he would ‘put him to sleep’ during his arrest can now be exposed as a convicted steroid dealer.
Then Greater Manchester Police PC Christian Bolger, now 47, was suspended from the force due to his involvement in the events leading up to the death of 30-year-old Mr Moura in July 2018.
The warehouse worker and dad-of-four died in hospital after a struggle with cops while being arrested and being put naked, face-down in a police van.
The GMP disciplinary case against Bolger in relation to Mr Moura’s death was later dismissed. His use of force, following expert testimony, was deemed 'appropriate'.
READ MORE: Andre Moura inquest jury returns conclusion
Bolger's actions did not cause or contribute to Mr Moura's death, nor did those of any of the cops involved, an inquest was told.
It followed evidence from an expert A&E consultant, who concluded Mr Moura had a 'massive cardiac arrest' that 'even in a hospital setting no one realised, he was going to have' and that he 'couldn't be resuscitated from'.
While suspended from the force, Bolger twice sold boxes of anabolic steroids to an undercover officer who befriended him at a gym as part of a sting, the Manchester Evening News can now reveal.
He was handed a suspended prison sentence at Liverpool Crown Court in March this year after pleading guilty to four charges of supplying Class C drugs testosterone and methenolone in 2019.
At a later misconduct hearing in relation to Bolger’s steroid dealing, GMP Chief Constable Stephen Watson ruled the disgraced cop would have been sacked had he not resigned.
“Mr Bolger’s conviction inevitably brings the profession into disrepute and undoubtedly damages the trust that the public have a right to expect of their police,” Chf Con Watson wrote following the proceedings.
“Mr Bolger’s offending behaviour was quite obviously well beyond anything that can be tolerated in the service,” he added. “His conduct has rightly given rise to the ruination of his career and the loss of his reputation.”
Bolger’s life, the inquest heard, has ‘unravelled’. He is living in a spare room at a friend’s house, with no income, ‘beset by anxiety and depression’.
A court order prevented details of his drug conviction and sentence being made public until after the inquest into Mr Moura’s death, at which Bolger was a key witness.
Those details can now be revealed following four weeks of evidence at South Manchester Coroners' Court. Coronial proceedings concluded on Thursday evening.
Jurors returned a narrative conclusion. Setting out the circumstances surrounding his death, they wrote: "On July 7, 2018, Andre Moura was declared dead at Tameside General Hospital having had a cardiac arrest in the back of a police vehicle while under police arrest to prevent a breach of the peace.
"Attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. He had high-levels of cocaine in his system resulting in cocaine toxicity, Acute Behavioural Disturbance (ABD) in association with hyperthermia, obesity and a high-stressing, physical struggle were all contributing factors."
According to the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, ABD is 'an umbrella term used to describe a presentation which may include abnormal physiology and/or behaviour'. The inquest heard it most commonly caused by illegal drug use, in particular cocaine.
Recording a narrative conclusion, jurors wrote: "Andre Moura had taken cocaine in the hours leading up to his death. There was a significant struggle with Greater Manchester Police officers as he was restrained, during which an episode of Acute Behavioural Disturbance (ABD) developed.
"He was put in the back of a police van for transportation. He suffered a cardiac arrest in the back of the police van and died after attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful."
Senior Coroner Alison Mutch made clear that the 'failure to recognise ABD' and any concerns about the checks carried out on Mr Moura by officers were 'non-causative' of his death.
Inquest explored circumstances leading up to Mr Moura's death
Bolger was one of 10 officers who responded following the final of six calls from Mr Moura’s partner about his behaviour on July 6, 2018.
The former cop was one of the first on the scene at Seventh Avenue in Lameside, outside Mr Moura’s Oldham home. PCs Ashley Hudson and Michael Healey followed. It was decided Mr Moura would be arrested on suspicion of a breach of the peace due to previous calls.
Bolger told the inquest after initially being ‘calm’ and ‘friendly’, when told he was being detained, Mr Moura started to ‘resist’ and ‘tense up and make a posture as if he [was starting] to become aggressive’.
He told the court: “Straight away, I realised he wasn’t going to come quietly.”
In footage from Bolger’s body-worn camera played at the inquest, he can be heard saying: “Don’t resist. I will get hold of you and you will lose this fight.”
He said Mr Moura - who he described as a ‘very big guy’ - ‘slipped his arm and tried to run away’.
“That was when he started fighting with us,” he said.
Bolger said he then took Mr Moura down to the floor, in what he described as a 'reverse takedown’. The pair then ended up on the floor, with Bolger underneath Mr Moura with his arm around him.
Afterwards, Bolger could be heard in the video saying: “I will put him to sleep.”
Coroner Alison Mutch asked Bolger why he used the phrase. He said: “No reason, it was just a phrase I would use if I was restraining someone.”
Bolger later confirmed during questioning by Marc Willems KC, representing the Moura family, that it originated from mixed martial arts, in which a ‘sleeper hold’ is used.
In MMA, Bolger said, these holds can lead to people briefly losing consciousness.
Bolger said that at no point did he intentionally put any pressure on Mr Moura’s airway and that he never lost consciousness.
He told the court: “Obviously, I didn’t put him to sleep at any point, I just wanted him to comply.”
Bolger said officers can ‘do whatever is necessary at that moment in time’ to gain control over a person.
Mr Willems said at six foot, Bolger was a ‘lot taller’ than Mr Moura, who was 5ft 9. Mr Bolger replied ‘yes’ when asked if he was ‘still a bodybuilder’.
Bolger said he understood Mr Moura to be around 19 stone and that he was ‘a lot bigger than all of us [the officers]’.
“It’s a technique I have used many times and never before has anyone gone to sleep or lost consciousness,” he said.
“It was a technique to gain control of Mr Moura. Me being a bodybuilder and taller is irrelevant in this case.”
Bolger said that later in the struggle, he kneed Mr Moura 'quite a few times’ in what he described as ‘distraction strikes’ and a ‘shock tactic’.
He claimed he delivered the strikes as Mr Moura ‘assaulted’ him by grabbing him by the testicles and 'not letting go.'
"We use them when it’s deemed necessary,” he added. “If they are being aggressive towards us, it’s to stop them being aggressive.
Bolger said advice is to aim strikes at the upper thigh and said he believed they landed on Mr Moura’s upper thigh ‘or it could have been the side of his body’.
He also said he punched Mr Moura once as he 'had hold of [his] finger and was twisting it causing [him] pain’.
Bolger disagreed with a suggestion by Mr Willems that he punched Mr Moura seven times saying: “There was only punch, I recall."
He said officers were allowed to use punches adding: “There is no hard and fast rule on what you can and can't do.”
Bolger said he was hit by CS gas fired by PC Hudson during the struggle.
One of Mr Moura's neighbours, Barry Martin, filmed the incident on his mobile phone from a bedroom window and came out to confront the officers saying: “A little excessive them knees mate.”
In the footage, an officer confirmed at the inquest to be Bolger is heard saying: "Yeah, are you here scrapping with him? No.”
Mr Martin was then told by police to return to his property.
A pathologist said Mr Moura suffered injuries consistent with the struggle with officers, including bruising on the skin surface and underneath, and some grazes.
None of these injuries could have been said to have contributed to Mr Moura’s death, which was attributed to 'cocaine toxicity resulting in hyperthermia and Acute Behavioural Disturbance (ABD) in association with obesity and struggle against restraint’.
Asked if he checked on Mr Moura after helping to restrain him and placing him outside the back of the police van, Bolger said the other officers who arrived at the scene 'took over to a degree’.
He added: “I was suffering from CS gas so I was trying to look after myself at that point," he said.
“I had done what I needed to do, I helped with the arrest and got him to the back of the van.
“From there it was up to the other officers what they wanted to do.”
Bolger later added: “You have to look after yourself first before looking after anyone else.”
After Mr Moura was placed in the van, PC Healey radioed for an ambulance, but that was canceled shortly after when he told the hearing a colleague relayed that Mr Moura was ‘fine’ and was ‘bracing himself.’ An A&E consultant told he inquest he did not believe an ambulance attending the scene would have changed the outcome.
"If he did go into cardiac arrest, there's a reasonable assumption that he would also have done so in the back of an ambulance," Dr Nigel Zoltie said.
Mr Moura was taken to Ashton police station, where a custody nurse who checked on him said he was ‘not breathing’ and she couldn’t find a pulse. Resuscitation attempts began and continued as he was taken to hospital, where Mr Moura was declared dead at 1.30am on Saturday, July, 7.
IOPC and GMP Professional Standards Branch's involvement in the case
Following an investigation into Mr Moura’s death by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) five officers, who were not then named, were referred to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). One was referred for alleged assault occasioning actual bodily harm and misconduct in public office; and the four others for alleged misconduct in public office.
A year later, in August 2020, the CPS said it had decided there was ‘insufficient evidence’ for any charges to be brought against the officers.
Six officers, including Bolger, were referred to GMP’s Professional Standards Branch for potential disciplinary action.
Four of them - PCs Michael Healey, Ashley Hudson, Andrew Bebb and PC Craig O’Brien - were given written warnings for misconduct, with a panel ruling they did not show 'adequate regard' for Mr Moura’s welfare.
Another officer, PC Tracy Ainsworth-Wrigley, was found to have no case to answer.
Bolger faced allegations that he used force that was 'not necessary or proportionate' by aiming up to seven 'knee strikes' and a punch to Mr Moura while he was handcuffed.
Bolger - who was referred to at that point only as 'PC A' due to active court proceedings in relation to his steroid dealing - was cleared of misconduct at a hearing in December 2021.
An expert said his use of force was 'appropriate'. In a prepared statement, Bolger claimed, as he did during the inquest, that he punched Mr Moura as he was being grabbed by the testicles and justified the knee strikes by claiming that Mr Moura had 'twisted [his] finger and was holding on while continuing to resist arrest'.
The tribunal heard a 'use of force' expert said Bolger’s actions may have been 'reasonable' if the account he gave was true, while he also agreed that the officer’s ability to discharge his duties following Mr Moura's arrest were 'diminished' by the effects of CS spray.
Bolger's criminal case
Bolger’s career would still come crashing down after he was caught selling drugs in an undercover sting launched by his own force while suspended in relation to Mr Moura’s death.
In early 2019, GMP received information suggesting Bolger, who also worked as a personal trainer, was ‘involved in supplying anabolic steroids within a local gym’, Liverpool Crown Court heard.
An investigation was sanctioned and ‘Operation Aristotle’ was launched.
An undercover officer - ‘Karl’ - was deployed to determine if the allegations were true.
“At the time, Bolger was suspended from his role as a serving GMP officer as a result of an investigation involving actions by the defendant and others at the time of a death in custody incident,” Adam Lodge, prosecuting, told the sentencing hearing in March.
“Any disciplinary matters arising have since been dismissed by the police disciplinary panel,” he continued.
“At the time [Bolger] was suspended he was still receiving his basic salary from the police and permitted by GMP to carry out other works as a personal trainer.”
In August 2019 ‘Karl’ joined the Evolution Gym in Rochdale, used by Bolger, and arranged personal training sessions with him.
During 11 sessions between mid-August and September nothing of concern was discussed, but on October 14, conversations turned to Bolger taking part in a bodybuilding championship and, ‘in an oblique fashion about the use of steroids by those competing in these competitions’, the court heard.
The topic came up again when the two men shared a meal at Chipoquito’s.
Mr Lodge said Bolger admitted using steroids and putting others in touch with his supplier.
“He explained the effect of such drugs, claiming they were not as bad as people often thought and now commonly used by people in the bodybuilding industry,” Mr Lodge added.
“He was clearly exercising some caution and during the discussion, he said he needed to be careful in fear of being investigated by undercover police officers.”
In the next training session, the court heard, Bolger returned to the subject of steroids obliquely and then arranged for him to supply ‘Karl’ with a ten-week course of steroids and human growth hormone.
He said he would get it from a supplier in London and that the price was £1,000. That was paid in cash on October 24 and the next day ‘Karl’ went to Bolger’s home address and was passed a bag containing eight boxes of glass phials.
Contents of two of the boxes were later analysed and found to contain 20ml of testosterone; while four other boxes contained 50 ml of methenolone, both Class C drugs.
The phials in the other two boxes were said to contain human growth hormone, but analysis showed they in fact did not. Two days after the drugs were provided, Bolger sent ‘Karl’ instructions on how to administer steroids.
On October 28, a further agreement was reached for the supply of more steroids and human growth hormone and £1,000 cash was paid.
On November 5, after a further training session at the gym, Bolger passed ‘Karl’ an envelope containing quantities of testosterone and methenolone and what was described as human growth hormone.
Bolger was arrested at his home on January 7, 2020. During a search, 34 glass phials and phials were found. Bolger they were steroids for his own use.
“It is not an offence to possess steroids, simply to supply,” prosecutor Mr Lodge told the court.
When interviewed, Bolger handed over a prepared statement in which he said he was the victim of unlawful entrapment and made no further comment.
Mr Lodge said that there was no evidence of significant profit and there was about £40 difference from what he paid and what he charged.
Brian Dean, defending, said Bolger’s father had recently been diagnosed with a terminal illness and did not have long to live and he wanted to spend as much time with him as he could.
Mr Dean said entrapment is not a defence in English law. He said Bolger had suggested to the undercover officer that a man on Facebook would supply him with steroids and to pay by electronic transfer, but that was rejected.
Mr Dean said that at the time ‘because of the death in custody incident and two other incidents experienced on the same weekend he was suffering quite serious depression’.
“He was at a low and vulnerable point in his life having been suspended by then for nearly a year,” he added.
Mr Dean said Bolger had lost his home and moved in with his parents and was not in a good financial position.
He will be fast-tracked for dismissal probably within weeks and his main source of income will be gone.
Bolger, whose address was given in court as School Grove, Prestwich, Bury, had been due to face trial on five charges on Tuesday, March 1, but changed his plea to guilty to four of them, which were to two offences of supplying testosterone on October 29 and November 5, 2019 and two of supplying of methenolone on the same dates.
The other charge of offering to supply human growth hormone (HGH) on October 16, 2019, was left to lie on the file after Liverpool Crown Court heard that analysis showed it was not HGH.
Bolger was sentenced to 10 weeks, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to pay £2,500 of the £4,000 costs requested by the prosecution at a rate of £200 per month.
Judge Robert Trevor Jones told him: “You have acquired a criminal record, which for someone who has been in your career over the last number of years, is a very sad and unfortunate position.”
He said he accepted Bolger had been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression and was receiving medication.
The judge said the fact Bolger was a serving police officer at the time was an aggravating factor, but the offences were not committed in his capacity as a police officer.
“Your career is in tatters that is for sure and that will probably come about quickly,” the judge told him.
The barrister representing Bolger at the inquest, Richard Wormald KC, spoke about his client's mental state.
“He has lost his job,” he said.
“He's no longer a serving police officer and has no income. He's living in a spare room at a friend's house. He's beset by anxiety and depression and the rest of it. Since 2018, his life has become unravelled."
Like all the officers, Bolger was allowed to give evidence via video link, rather than having to attend court in person.
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