Need to know
The inquest into the death of the 14-year-old, which is being heard with a jury at Belfast Coroner’s Court, has just finished its 12th week.
Fiona Donohoe (centre), the mother of 14-year-old Noah Donohoe, outside Belfast Coroner’s Court, for the inquest into his death(Image: Mark Marlow/PA Wire)
- PSNI officers searching for Noah Donohoe “never” thought they would find the schoolboy in the storm drain tunnel where his naked body was eventually discovered, the inquest heard on Monday.
- A retired PSNI inspector described how his team carried out the search in order to rule out the possibility he might have entered the culvert in north Belfast. Retired inspector Menary, who managed the PSNI hazardous environment search (HES) team, told jurors: “Our operation was to rule out any likelihood Noah was in or near the culvert.” He said his team was “always going to” search the culvert “thoroughly to the very end” and were “never going to leave any trace of doubt” Noah might be in it.
- On Wednesday, Belfast Coroner’s Court heard evidence from the woman who was convicted of handling stolen goods in 2021 after being found to be in possession of Noah’s laptop at her accommodation near the Donohoe family home. The jury heard from Maria Nolan about she came into possession of Noah’s laptop, as well as statements she had provided to police in the past. She had told police that Noah had been injected with heroin or naloxone prior to his death but later said this was a “rumour” and she had no information about how he disappeared.
- Ms Nolan told the inquest that a man she knew, Daryl Paul, told her that he had a laptop that he could sell at Cash Converters to raise money to buy drugs on June 24 2020. The laptop was Noah’s, and was part of several items that had gone missing – including his backpack and coat. She said she did not know about Noah or his disappearance at the time and believed the laptop was owned by Mr Paul, whom she accompanied.
- Daryl Paul told the inquest on Thursday it is “ridiculous” to suggest that he had the schoolboy’s coat. Paul, of Cliftonville Avenue, previously pleaded guilty to stealing a rucksack containing Noah’s laptop and books. In a statement read out at Belfast Coroner’s Court, he said he was “upset” by “untrue” rumours about him and said he and his family had received threats.
- Paul also accused the PSNI of failing to gather CCTV evidence from a nearby university on the day Noah went missing, asking the inquest: “Was it not in the public interest to clear my name?”
- The court heard evidence from civil engineer Brian Pope and expert in risk assessment Dr Mark Cooper on Friday. They were questioned about the culvert entrance close to homes on Premier Drive and Northwood Road in north Belfast. The culvert leads to a tunnel network in which Noah’s body was found.
- Mr Pope said he did not believe the tunnel outlet at Belfast Lough was a possible entry point: “It’s in a tidal situation and not easily seen. It would not be an attractive way to enter the culvert.”
- Mr Pope told the jury: “I felt that it was most likely that access was gained between the bars. There was approximately 180 millimetres gap, which is adequate for a larger child or a young person to squeeze through. So, geometrically, I felt that that was the most likely. Manholes are very difficult to lift and need special keys. So, I felt that the at the inlet was the most likely point, there is a hatch above that wasn’t locked.”
- Dr Cooper said he had been shown a photograph of an adult squeezing through the bars at the culvert entrance. He said: “I just thought that that was very persuasive.”
- The inquest will resume on Monday.
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