Everything you need to know ahead of Noah Donohoe inquest

Need to know

The inquest into the death of South Belfast teenager Noah Donohoe is set to start on Monday which aims to establish the full circumstances on how he died

Everything you need to know

• Noah Donohoe was found dead in a storm drain in North Belfast in June 2020, following a six day search for the 14-year-old who had gone missing as he cycled from his home in South Belfast to see a group of friends.
• The inquest into the teenager’s death has been delayed on a number of occasions with the most recent taking place following a request from Noah’s mum Fiona who wanted time for a “full and fearless” inquest into her son’s death.
• The inquest is set to be a jury inquest which aims to establish when, where and how Noah died and is not meant to attribute blame to anyone.
• There has been controversy in the case due to the PSNI being granted the use of Public Interest Immunity Certificates which will mean that some of the details regarding Noah’s death will be concealed from the public. This decision was made on the basis that disclosing redacted material would pose “a real risk of serious harm to the public interest.”
• Last year the coroner released CCTV images showing Noah’s movements the day before he disappeared along with ones showing the last time he was seen alive on Northwood Drive on June 21.
• The coroner has also warned members of the public there could be “potentially serious consequences” for anyone found speculating about the case on social media as this could prejudice the inquest proceedings.
• Last year, a pre-inquest hearing heard that the light level in the drain where Noah was found has been assessed.
• Investigative journalist Donal MacIntyre has helped during the inquest proceedings and provided some material to the coroner.

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