The jury in the long-running inquest into the death of 14-year-old Noah Donohoe has been tasked with determining whether errors by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) contributed to his death. Coroner Mr Justice Rooney completed his charge to the jury on Monday evening, after six months of evidence at Belfast Coroner's Court.
Key Questions for the Jury
Mr Justice Rooney emphasised that the jury must assess whether police actions—or inactions—before Noah's death more than minimally contributed to his death. The timing of Noah's death is crucial: experts indicated he may have died on the same day he went missing, Sunday June 21, 2020, or could have survived until Tuesday June 23. Only errors occurring before his death can be considered contributory.
The jury of eight men and two women must answer a detailed questionnaire, prepared with input from all properly interested parties, covering the circumstances of Noah's death, police actions, and the culvert where he entered the storm drain. Unanimous findings are required.
Background of the Case
Noah, a pupil at St Malachy's College, left his home on his bike on June 21, 2020, intending to meet two friends in the Cavehill area of Belfast. CCTV evidence showed he took a detour, cycling along York Road and onto Northwood Road, where he is believed to have entered a storm drain tunnel via a culvert behind a house. His naked body was found in the tunnel on June 27, six days later. A post-mortem examination determined the cause of death as drowning.
The inquest, which began in January, heard from 76 witnesses, with statements from a further 42 people, along with maps, video footage, photographs, police logs, and expert reports. Noah's mother, Fiona Donohoe, has attended every day of the proceedings.
Police Actions Under Scrutiny
Mr Justice Rooney told the jury: “Your role is to consider police actions, and whether they contributed, more than minimally, to his death.” He noted that errors could include both actions and omissions. The coroner reminded jurors of the evidence from the time Ms Donohoe reported Noah missing at 9.44pm on June 21, through the search efforts, CCTV analysis, phone and laptop retrieval, and physical searches of the tunnel.
The jury is expected to begin formal deliberations on Tuesday morning. Mr Rooney urged them to take as long as needed to reach their conclusions based solely on the evidence presented during the inquest.
