The jury in the Noah Donohoe inquest has retired to consider its verdict. The 14-year-old disappeared and died in north Belfast in June 2020.
His body was discovered six days after he went missing in an underground water tunnel located near the M2 motorway. The discovery site was more than 600 meters downstream from the tunnel system's entrance, which is situated close to Northwood Road, where Noah was last seen.
The inquest, overseen by High Court judge Mr Justice Rooney and a jury of ten, has presented the jurors with 10 questions to consider. Before they retired on Tuesday, the coroner instructed the jury that the central issue is to determine "in what circumstances did Noah come by his death." He emphasized that their verdict must be based solely on the evidence presented in court, urging them to disregard any external rumors or speculation.
Mr Justice Rooney also stressed that there is no time pressure on the jury and they should take as long as necessary to reach a unanimous verdict. The five-month hearing, which commenced at the end of January, included an examination of Noah's behavior before his disappearance and the subsequent investigation by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). Among the questions for the jury is whether any errors made by the PSNI contributed to the schoolboy's death. The maintenance and public accessibility of the tunnel system by Stormont's Department for Infrastructure were also scrutinized.
Noah's mother, Fiona, was present in court with a family member as the jury began their deliberations.