Belfast teenager's inquest finds police failures amid unexplained death
An inquest into the 2020 drowning death of 14-year-old Noah Donohoe in Belfast identified a series of police investigative failures, though it found no direct link between police conduct and his death. His mother said he was failed by both the police and infrastructure authorities.
An inquest at Belfast coroners' court has concluded that there is insufficient evidence to fully explain the circumstances surrounding the death of 14-year-old Noah Donohoe, partly due to errors made by police investigators.
Noah left his south Belfast home by bicycle on 21 June 2020, telling his mother he was visiting friends. His naked body was discovered six days later deep inside an underground storm drain in north Belfast. A postmortem determined he had drowned.
The jury reviewed eyewitness accounts and CCTV footage showing Noah cycling through the city that afternoon and evening, at one point falling from his bike and gradually shedding items of clothing. He was eventually filmed cycling naked before heading toward a stream leading to the storm drain, where he abandoned his bicycle.
Jurors unanimously concluded that no failing by the Police Service of Northern Ireland directly contributed to Noah's death, since he likely died before he was reported missing. However, they identified 13 separate investigative failures that hampered efforts to determine the full circumstances — including undersecured CCTV evidence, unfollowed leads about Noah's missing green coat, and statements not taken within a reasonable timeframe. The jury also criticised the house-to-house search strategy and the quality of police notebook entries, along with delays in identifying and searching the storm drain itself.
The inquest found it possible, though not proven, that failures by the Department for Infrastructure in managing the storm drain contributed to Noah's death. No warning signs marked the site, and only an ineffective debris screen blocked access.
Noah's mother, Fiona Donohoe, testified that her son had been unusually emotional in the days before he disappeared, and that she had worried about his mental state. Friends and teachers described him as intelligent, funny, musical and a popular high achiever at school. Psychiatric experts told the inquest they found no evidence of suicidal tendencies or drug use.
A senior police officer apologised to Fiona Donohoe during the inquest for missed investigative opportunities. Outside court, she said her son had been failed by both the Department for Infrastructure, which left the storm drain unsecured, and the police, who she said stopped seeking answers after his body was found.
