A WOMAN made her 14-year-old son bury drugs after a dealer died of an overdose on her sofa, an inquest heard.

The body of Lee Bartlett, 41, was found at a house in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, and police were initially told he had been to a party the night before.

Toxicology tests revealed a cocktail of drugs, including cocaine, heroin, Viagra and prescribed drugs in his bloodstream.

A post mortem examination also showed needle marks in his forearms.

Police found no evidence of drug use at the house, but the woman who raised the alarm eventually admitted that her teenage son had disposed of the drugs and hidden Mr Bartlett’s clothes and phone following his January 26th death.

Detective Sergeant Scott Jameson said the woman admitted that she was scared that her son would be taken into care if drugs were found in her house.

The hearing at Crook Coroners’ Court was told Mr Bartlett arrived at the house two days earlier with ‘a quantity of heroin’ for himself and the woman to take while her son spent time in his bedroom.

Oliver Longstaff, assistant coroner for County Durham, said Mr Bartlett suffered a drug related accidental death.

He said there was no evidence of any third party involvement.

“The evidence has revealed an incompetent attempt to clean the scene, not to disguise criminality but out of concern for herself," he added.

“It does defy belief that having told police she was trying to protect her son, she would implicate him in trying to conceal the drugs.”

Mr Bartlett, of The Crescent, Witton Gilbert, had several convictions for drug dealing offences dating back many years, but his family said he had been clean for two-and-a-half years.

His sister, Kelly Flintoff, 31, said the family did not accept the verdict and would like to see the police reinvestigate the circumstances surrounding the father-of-two's death.

She said: “We want justice for Lee.”

A spokesman for Durham Constabulary said a 36-year-old woman voluntarily attended Chester-le-Street police station at the time of Mr Bartlett’s death and was interviewed under caution but no further action was taken.

She added: “Our sympathies remain with Mr Bartlett’s family. Following his death, a thorough police investigation was carried out on behalf of the coroner and today the inquest found that Mr Bartlett died of an accidental death through drugs.”