A police constable has provided detailed testimony at the ongoing inquest into the death of schoolboy Noah Donohoe, describing CCTV footage he viewed that showed a naked youth jumping off a bicycle and running toward wasteland in north Belfast.
Inquest Enters Fourth Week with Jury Present
The proceedings at Belfast Coroner's Court, which include a jury, have now entered their fourth week as investigators continue to piece together the events leading to the tragic death of the 14-year-old St Malachy's College pupil. Noah's naked body was discovered in a storm drain tunnel in north Belfast six days after he left his home on his bicycle to meet friends in the Cavehill area in June 2020. A post-mortem examination subsequently determined that drowning was the cause of death.
Constable Morrow's Testimony on CCTV Footage
Constable Morrow told the court that he was on duty at 11pm on June 22, 2020, when he was dispatched to Northwood Road to conduct CCTV inquiries following Noah's disappearance. He recounted being approached by a resident who had footage on his mobile phone from a domestic CCTV system.
The officer described watching the footage, which he said depicted a male cycling up Northwood Road shortly after 6pm on the previous evening. He noted, "The male appeared to be younger from his stature. However, at no point did I see the male's face to confirm age. I observed that the male had no clothes on and jumped off his bike and ran between houses in the direction of wasteland behind the street."
Mr Morrow added that the resident informed him the footage was approximately three minutes slow. He explained to the court that he could not seize the footage at the time because the resident did not know how to download it from the system.
Questioning by Family's Legal Counsel
Brenda Campbell KC, counsel for Noah's mother Fiona Donohoe, questioned Constable Morrow about several aspects of his response. She asked why he had no handwritten notes of the incident and why he did not immediately verify the timing of the CCTV footage.
The officer responded that he took the resident at his word regarding the three-minute delay and stated there would only have been a formal requirement for a timecheck when the footage was being seized. He confirmed he had no further involvement in the inquiries after this initial visit.
Additional Police Testimony and Evidence
The inquest then heard evidence from Constable Thompson, who had viewed the CCTV footage alongside Constable Morrow. His statement indicated that the youth in the footage appeared to match the description of Noah and that he presumed the youth had entered a dense wooded area behind Northwood Road.
Constable Thompson testified that he returned to the scene in the early hours of the following morning to check the area after search and rescue operations had been stood down. He explained, "We were trying to go in anywhere that Mr Donohoe could potentially have been hiding. So, we're looking for accessible coal bunkers, sheds, gardens, anywhere that he might have been seeking shelter."
Ms Campbell pointed out inconsistencies in the officer's statement regarding his involvement, noting he had been assigned to the case again on Tuesday despite claiming no further involvement. The officer acknowledged this was an error on his part.
Focus on CCTV Coverage of Noah's Journey
The barrister then shifted questioning toward police efforts to secure CCTV footage of Noah's journey through Belfast on the Sunday before his disappearance. She suggested there would have been "potentially a treasure trove" of footage from the Cityside shopping complex (formerly Yorkgate) in the north of the city.
The jury was shown body-worn police camera footage from a colleague of Constable Thompson's, depicting officers at the shopping centre watching CCTV of Noah riding his bike on York Street. Ms Campbell noted there were several corresponding cameras that could have covered subsequent areas of Noah's travel and asked whether efforts were made to examine a range of cameras. The constable responded he could not remember but would have presumed so.
Rule 17 Witness Statements Presented
After lunch, counsel to the coroner Declan Quinn read multiple Rule 17 witness statements to the jury. Rule 17 allows statements to be read as evidence without requiring the witness to be called to the inquest. Several statements were from PSNI officers or employees concerning the gathering of CCTV footage related to Noah.
The statement of Ray Dowling was also read, detailing that he had been in Northwood Crescent on the evening Noah disappeared when he saw a "skateboard-style cycle helmet" on the road. His statement continued, "As the helmet was on the carriageway, I thought a child must have left it there, so I lifted it and set it on the footpath, fully expecting someone to come and retrieve it. It was an all black helmet, and I didn't notice any damage to it."
He noted that two days later, the helmet was still on the street but had been moved further down the path. Upon seeing a news report about Noah being missing, he contacted police. The inquest is scheduled to resume on Monday as the investigation continues.
