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The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) described the inquiry into Noah Donohoe’s death as “complex and challenging,” noting it attracted significant public and media attention alongside widespread speculation. The investigation’s conclusion was described as “devastating.” Assistant Chief Constable Davy Beck emphasized that “no action that police could have taken” would have prevented Noah’s death, but stressed the importance of learning from the case to improve future responses. Reflecting on the tragedy, he said, “Noah was a child with his whole life ahead of him. His death is a tragedy, and our thoughts remain firmly with his family and those who loved him.”
Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins expressed that both Fiona Donohoe and Noah’s family remain a priority. She vowed to ensure her department would take all necessary steps to learn lessons from the case. Noah went missing on Sunday, 21 June 2020, after leaving his home in south Belfast on his bicycle, which triggered a large-scale search across the city. Tragically, six days later, Noah’s body was discovered in a water tunnel leading into Belfast Lough in the northern part of the city. The cause of death was ruled as drowning. Witnesses who last saw Noah near the tunnel reported that he was naked at the time.
Noah’s case sparked widespread speculation, with his family launching a high-profile campaign seeking answers. The inquest, which began over five years after Noah’s death following many delays, found no definitive explanation as to why he was without clothing and possessions when last seen alive. There was also no evidence to suggest any physical interaction with others during his journey from south to north Belfast. His family had specifically requested that the inquest be heard by a jury, which was granted in 2022. The nine-member jury—comprising seven men and two women—unanimously answered ten questions about the circumstances surrounding Noah’s death.
The jury concluded that Noah died between 7:00 pm and midnight on 21 June 2020 in the lower part of a culvert. However, insufficient evidence prevented an understanding of why Noah behaved as he did after leaving his home. The jury also acknowledged that any errors by the Department for Infrastructure possibly contributed to Noah’s death, though this was not deemed probable. They ruled out any contribution by police error to the death. Nevertheless, the jury identified thirteen failings involving the PSNI and the Department for Infrastructure which hindered the inquest’s ability to fully establish facts related to the case. Following the inquest, Fiona Donohoe stated that she was left with “one clear answer”—her son was failed by the police and the department. She criticized a perceived culture of institutional defensiveness and noted that many witnesses responded with “I don’t know” or “I can’t recall” to key questions. Her solicitor, Niall Murphy, stressed the need for the department to prevent child access to dangerous tunnels and for the PSNI to exhaust every effort in missing children cases, praising Fiona’s relentless pursuit for answers
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