Police Officer Unable to Clarify Evidence Regarding Search for Noah Donohoe's Coat
A police officer has admitted he cannot explain why he stated in evidence at the inquest into the death of Noah Donohoe that he had been tasked to search for a green coat belonging to the missing schoolboy. Constable Wharry gave testimony on Thursday at Belfast Coroner's Court, where the inquest into the 14-year-old's death is in its ninth week.
Contradictory Statements Emerge During Testimony
The constable initially told the jury he had searched a flat for the missing coat, but later conceded he "didn't believe" he had been told about the item. The officer revealed he had been "briefed" by a team at Musgrave Street police station in Belfast before giving evidence on Thursday, raising questions about the consistency of his account.
Background of the Tragic Case
Noah Donohoe, a pupil at St Malachy's College, was 14 when his naked body was found in a storm drain tunnel in north Belfast in June 2020. This discovery came six days after he left home on his bike to meet two friends in the Cavehill area of the city. A post-mortem examination determined the likely cause of death was drowning.
Details of the Police Search
Constable Wharry testified that on June 25, 2020, four days after Noah disappeared, he was tasked to assist CID with the arrest of a male at a flat in Belfast. Although nobody was present at the address, the officer conducted a search and discovered items of schoolwork belonging to Noah in a rubbish bag in the kitchen shortly before 10pm.
Counsel to the coroner Peter Coll confirmed the person police had been tasked to arrest was Daryl Paul, of Cliftonville Avenue, who previously pleaded guilty to stealing a rucksack containing Noah's laptop and school books. The officer stated he had been advised that Noah's laptop, bag, and green coat were in Paul's possession.
Despite an "extensive" search of the flat, the laptop and green coat were not found. The school books were bagged and taken to Musgrave Street police station. The officer also acknowledged that, contrary to his original statement claiming body-worn camera evidence of the search, he had not recorded any footage.
Questioning by Counsel for Noah's Mother
Brenda Campbell, counsel for Noah's mother Fiona Donohoe, presented the witness with a statement outlining Ms Donohoe's concerns about the police investigation, including the failure to recover items of her son's clothing. Campbell asked, "Did you understand before you got into the witness box today that a concern was the failure of the police to look for Noah's green coat?"
The officer responded that he had been briefed at Musgrave Street police station before giving evidence about concerns regarding the coat. Campbell highlighted the inconsistency, noting, "It is a concern that for the first time in your evidence, you mentioned three or four times a green coat... and yet it appears nowhere in your statements, nowhere in your contemporaneous notebook."
She continued, "You tell us today for the first time you were briefed in relation to the green coat, that you looked for the green coat and that you didn't find the green coat." The officer maintained, "I looked for all the items we were told to look for."
Unanswered Questions and Emotional Impact
When pressed further, Constable Wharry admitted, "I don't believe we were told about the green coat. We were told about items." Campbell then asked, "You don't believe you were told about the green coat, why have you told us repeatedly this morning that you were?" The officer replied, "I am not, no," indicating he could not provide an explanation.
Campbell described this as a "serious matter" and "difficult evidence" for Noah's mother to hear. The inquest continues as further testimony is expected to shed light on the investigation into the schoolboy's tragic death.
