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Jury to Weigh Police Role in Noah Donohoe's Death
29 Jun
Summary
- Jury to assess if police errors contributed to Noah Donohoe's death.
- Noah disappeared in north Belfast on June 21, 2020.
- Exact time of death remains unknown, estimated between June 21-24, 2020.
A jury at the Noah Donohoe inquest is tasked with determining if police errors played a role in the schoolboy's death. Noah disappeared in north Belfast on June 21, 2020, and his body was discovered six days later in an underground water tunnel. The coroner directed the jury to scrutinize the PSNI's investigation into his disappearance.
Key considerations for the jury include what information the police possessed and when they acted upon it. They must assess if any police 'act or omission,' occurring before Noah's death, could have more likely than not contributed to the outcome. The exact time of Noah's death is undetermined, with expert estimates placing it between midnight on June 21/22, 2020, and June 23, 2020.
The inquest heard criticisms of police "failings" from Noah's family, though PSNI witnesses detailed managing an unprecedented volume of information, including over 600 calls. The Department for Infrastructure also faced scrutiny regarding safety measures at the tunnel system entrance where Noah's body was found.
