Police made no failings that contributed to the death of 14-year-old Noah Donohoe, whose body was discovered in an underground water tunnel, an inquest jury determined. The jury also unanimously agreed that the schoolboy died before he was reported missing in north Belfast in June 2020.
However, jurors identified a series of subsequent investigative errors by officers that impacted the jury's ability to reach conclusions on certain aspects of the long-running case. The jury also found that failings by Stormont's Department of Infrastructure concerning its management of access to a water culvert possibly contributed to Noah's death.
The foreman of the jury confirmed the findings after 32 hours of deliberations over five days at Belfast Coroner's Court. The investigation into Noah's death began in January, following a post-mortem examination that identified drowning as the cause of death. Noah had been missing for six days, during which extensive search operations were conducted.
While the jury found it was not probable that the Department of Infrastructure's failings contributed to Noah's death, they did agree that it was possible. Jurors stated that a failure to recognize the culvert entrance as a location accessible to the public meant no warning signs were erected and it was only covered by a debris screen. "As a consequence, Noah was able to access the culvert via the debris screen," the jury foreman added.
Noah, a pupil at St. Malachy's College, went missing after leaving his home in south Belfast on his bike to meet friends in the Cavehill area. He took a detour and was captured on CCTV cycling naked shortly before entering the area of the culvert. The case had been surrounded by mystery, prompting his mother, Fiona Donohoe, to campaign for answers.
The jury found insufficient evidence to explain Noah's behavior after he left his house at 5:40 p.m. on June 21, 2020. Jurors determined he died in the culvert between 7 p.m. and midnight that night. Given that Noah was reported missing to police the following day, the jury concluded that police errors or inaction did not contribute to his death.
Nonetheless, jurors identified 13 subsequent failings that affected the inquest's ability to reach a conclusion on aspects relevant to the circumstances of his death, with most of these errors relating to the police investigation. The inquest heard evidence from 76 witnesses and statements from 42 others, including maps, video footage, photos, police logs, and expert reports.
Proceedings resumed at Belfast Coroner's Court following an adjournment in July. Mr. Justice Rooney had dismissed one juror before the remaining nine, seven men and two women, resumed their deliberations. The proceedings were initially adjourned in July after jurors deliberated for 24 hours over three days without reaching a unanimous verdict. Noah's mother, Fiona Donohoe, attended every day of the inquest. Jurors were tasked with agreeing on findings for ten questions, including the date of Noah's death and whether police errors contributed to it.