The ongoing inquest into the tragic death of schoolboy Noah Donohoe has entered its fifth week at Belfast Coroner's Court, with a jury present to hear evidence. During recent testimony, police revealed they had received information that the 14-year-old was behaving "strangely" before he left his home for the final time in June 2020.
Discovery and Initial Investigation
Noah Donohoe's naked body was discovered in a storm drain tunnel in north Belfast six days after he disappeared. He had left his home on his bicycle, ostensibly to meet two friends in the Cavehill area of the city. The inquest is meticulously examining the circumstances surrounding his death.
Police Testimony on CCTV and Behaviour
Detective Sergeant Gardiner, who coordinated the CCTV collection during the investigation, faced questioning from Brenda Campbell KC, counsel for Noah's mother Fiona Donohoe. The focus was on footage from the Fitzroy Avenue area where Noah lived and the puzzling detail of why he turned right upon leaving home.
Ms Campbell pointed out that turning left would have led Noah directly to the Ormeau Road, where he was eventually seen. Mr Gardiner responded that this specific question "was never asked" during the investigation. He explained, "In terms of CCTV, no. The priorities were elsewhere. The information we had was that he was behaving strangely in the house."
The court heard additional testimony that Noah's mother had reported him as being emotional before his disappearance. Mr Gardiner elaborated, stating, "He lied about where he was going. He said he was going to Cavehill with his friends and his friends said that was not the case."
Questioning the Investigation's Focus
When Ms Campbell inquired if the investigation was proceeding under the assumption that Noah had lied, Mr Gardiner clarified, "no, but it was unusual." The jury was informed that a later witness would provide further insight into this matter.
Ms Campbell emphasized that her line of questioning aimed to "explore the limitations of what we can understand about Noah's journey based on the limitations of the evidence." She highlighted inconsistencies in the gathered material, noting instances where Noah appeared to be in two places at once or at the same location at different times, which she described as "not physically possible."
Delays and Gaps in Evidence
The inquest also revealed concerning delays in the investigation. Some CCTV footage collected in 2020 was not reviewed until 2022. When questioned about the lack of clips from the Holylands area, Mr Gardiner stated that inquiries were spread across various Belfast locations.
He outlined the investigation's priorities at that stage: "The priorities at this stage were the route, the backpack and the phone." Ms Campbell suggested that this approach meant "we never had a full picture of his movements in the Holylands when he left home for the last time." Mr Gardiner concurred, simply stating, "no, we never."
The inquest continues as the court seeks to piece together the final hours of Noah Donohoe's life, with the jury tasked with considering all evidence presented in this deeply sorrowful case.
