Police Search for Noah Donohoe Hampered by 'Visceral' Crowd Atmosphere in Belfast Park
A police search for missing schoolboy Noah Donohoe in a Belfast park was significantly delayed due to a "visceral" and hostile atmosphere among a crowd of hundreds that had gathered in the area, an inquest has heard. The proceedings at Belfast Coroner's Court, now in their fourth week with a jury, revealed detailed testimony about the challenges faced during the 2020 search operation.
Former Police Inspector Describes Chaotic Scene
Retired police inspector Menary, who previously managed the PSNI hazardous environment search team, provided witness statements read to the jury. He described attending Northwood Linear Park in north Belfast on March 24, 2020, three days after 14-year-old Noah had disappeared while cycling to meet friends in the Cavehill area.
Mr Menary told the court there were "hundreds of local residents in quite an agitated state" due to Noah's disappearance, with subsequent estimates suggesting up to 400 people were present. He stated it took more than an hour to clear the park so police could begin inspecting the storm drain tunnel system where Noah would later be found.
"The crowd were mostly well-meaning, but some were behaving in a hostile fashion," Mr Menary testified. "It was simply not possible to engage in the search before clearing the park."
Political Involvement and Anti-Police Sentiment
The former inspector confirmed that political representatives had asked people to assist in looking for Noah in 2020, though these representatives were no longer at the scene when police arrived. He described how the atmosphere became increasingly tense as frustration grew among the gathered crowd.
"There was some sort of anti-police feeling amongst a portion of the crowd, which is getting quite visceral and quite vocal at the time," Mr Menary told the court. He detailed how people were shouting, trying to search independently, and even hanging around police vehicles while attempting to look into the backs of vans.
Counsel for the coroner Declan Quinn questioned Mr Menary about speculation circulating among the crowd regarding Noah's disappearance. The retired officer confirmed there had been widespread social media speculation and rumors about potential abduction, paramilitary involvement, paedophiles, and even police complicity in whatever had happened to the teenager.
Challenges of the Underground Search Operation
Mr Menary, who was the first to enter part of the storm drain network during the search, described numerous obstacles encountered during the operation. He revealed that schematics provided by the Department for Infrastructure about the water network system "did not match what we were finding on the ground."
Several entry points to the storm drain tunnel could not be located and appeared to have been landscaped or tarred over during recent improvement works in the park. The search team initially used cameras in the tunnels but had to resort to physical entry due to obstructions.
By the end of June 24, the team had confirmed Noah was not in the non-tidal stretch of tunnel they had searched. Mr Menary described shouting Noah's name while in the tunnel but receiving no response. The search resumed on Thursday but had to be suspended due to rising tides.
"What is now clear is that the search on the Thursday almost got to the point where Noah was found, but that it had to cease due to a rising tide," Mr Menary stated.
Assessment of Survival Possibilities and Equipment
The retired officer offered his professional assessment of the storm drain environment, stating he believed the tunnels would have been a "very challenging place to survive if you were naked." Noah had reportedly been seen without clothing before his disappearance, and a post-mortem examination would later determine the cause of death as drowning.
Mr Menary emphasized that by the time his team was searching, they were looking for evidence that Noah may have been in the tunnel at some point rather than conducting a rescue operation. He addressed questions about equipment availability, noting that his team did not have access to a drone at the time but asserting that no police force would have had a drone capable of underground deployment during that period.
"At no point did I consider that we had an equipment deficit or that our search was hampered or would have been better with different equipment," he told the court.
Search Methodology and Evidence Collection
During further questioning after lunch, Mr Menary explained that his team had been requested to search the park on Tuesday March 23 after being told Noah had entered but "was never seen" leaving. At that point, he was not aware of reports that Noah had been naked.
The search focused on finding "any items of clothing, any evidence of books, laptops, any material, anything at all really that was out of the ordinary that might be linked to his disappearance."
The jury was shown camera evidence from inside the tunnel system recorded by two members of the HES team on the Tuesday. Mr Menary explained that he had subsequently sought maps of the network from the Department for Infrastructure before his team returned to the scene on Wednesday.
Noah Donohoe, a pupil at St Malachy's College, was found dead in the storm drain in north Belfast in June 2020, six days after leaving home on his bicycle. His mother, Fiona Donohoe, attended Tuesday's hearing as the inquest continues to examine the circumstances surrounding her son's tragic death.
