A police search for missing teenager Noah Donohoe in a Belfast park was significantly delayed due to a large crowd, with some individuals behaving in a hostile manner, an inquest into the schoolboy's death has heard. The proceedings, now in their fourth week at Belfast Coroner's Court with a jury present, revealed detailed accounts from former officers involved in the 2020 operation.
Challenges in the Search Operation
A series of witness statements from retired inspector Menary, who previously managed the PSNI hazardous environment search team, were read to the jury. Mr Menary attended Northwood Linear Park in north Belfast on March 24, three days after Noah had gone missing. He described encountering hundreds of local residents in an agitated state due to the disappearance, with up to 400 people present in the park.
The former inspector stated it took over an hour to clear the park so police could begin inspecting the storm drain tunnel system. He noted that while the crowd was mostly well-meaning, some were behaving in a hostile fashion, making it impossible to engage in the search before the area was secured.
Underground Search Efforts
Mr Menary detailed how the HES team searched both above ground in Linear Park and below ground in the tunnels. He quickly discovered that schematics provided by the Department for Infrastructure about the water network system did not match what was found on the ground. Several entry points to the storm drain tunnel could not be located, appearing to have been landscaped or tarred over during recent park improvement works.
Cameras were initially sent into the tunnels, but due to obstructions, Mr Menary had to enter the tunnel himself. By the end of June 24, the team confirmed Noah was not in the non-tidal stretch of tunnel that had been searched. Noah's name was shouted while in the tunnel, but there was no response.
Search Suspensions and Equipment
The search resumed on Thursday but had to be suspended due to rising tides. Mr Menary revealed that the search on that day almost reached the point where Noah was later found, but it ceased because of the tidal conditions. He was not personally involved in searches on subsequent days.
The retired officer emphasized that the tunnels would have been a very challenging place to survive if someone were naked, and noted that by that point, the operation was looking for evidence Noah may have been in the tunnel, not conducting a rescue. He also addressed equipment concerns, stating the team did not have access to a drone at the time, but he did not believe any other police force would have had a drone capable of underground deployment then. He asserted there was no equipment deficit or hampering of the search.
Background of the Case
Noah Donohoe, a 14-year-old pupil of St Malachy's College, was found dead in a storm drain in north Belfast in June 2020, six days after leaving home on his bike to meet friends in the Cavehill area. A post-mortem examination determined the cause of death was drowning. His mother, Fiona Donohoe, attended the hearing on Tuesday, highlighting the ongoing family involvement in the inquest process.
