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The jury at the inquest into the death of Noah Donohoe is tasked with determining whether any police mistakes played a role in the tragic outcome. Noah, a 14-year-old boy, went missing in north Belfast on 21 June 2020. His body was discovered six days later, on 27 June, in an underground water tunnel near an entrance to the tunnel system. Mr Justice Rooney, the coroner overseeing the case, emphasized that the jury must evaluate the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s (PSNI) handling of the investigation by examining “what they knew, when they knew it, and what they did in response.”
During his summing-up to the jury, known as the coroner’s charge, Mr Justice Rooney instructed the panel to consider whether any potential error by the PSNI was a minor or negligible factor in Noah’s death. Central to their deliberations is whether there was anything that the police should have done differently, amounting to an act or omission that more likely than not contributed to the boy’s death. However, the coroner was clear that any finding of fault can only relate to actions taken before Noah died. The precise time of death remains unknown, but expert testimony suggests Noah died sometime between midnight on 21/22 June and 23 June, with a remote possibility he was alive on 24 June.
The Donohoe family’s legal representation has criticized the police witnesses for numerous failings in the investigation process. The lead PSNI investigator on the case has apologized to Noah’s mother, Fiona Donohoe, acknowledging missed opportunities during the inquiry. Mr Justice Rooney also conveyed to the jury that the PSNI faced an unusually high volume of information during the week of the search, handling more than 600 phone calls related to Noah’s disappearance alone. Additionally, the force was managing 167 other missing person cases across Northern Ireland during this period. The judge described the scale of this investigative effort as “unprecedented” for the PSNI.
Attention was also drawn to the physical environment where Noah was found, particularly access to the tunnel system. Residents living near Northwood Road and Premier Drive, close to where Noah went missing, testified that they were aware of local entry points to the waste land leading to the tunnel entrance. The Department for Infrastructure (DfI), responsible for maintaining the tunnel system, has faced criticism over the safety measures at the site. DfI representatives told the inquest they believed current safety provisions were adequate, with access limited to authorized maintenance personnel, nearby residents, or potential trespassers. The coroner highlighted disagreements among expert witnesses regarding safety at the location. He also reminded the jury of the efforts of initial searchers who called out into the culvert tunnel, saying “Hello” and “Hello, Noah,” as they attempted to locate the boy
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