Noah Donohoe inquest: ‘My son was failed’, says mother as jury delivers verdict

The inquest began in January, five-and-a-half years after the death of the schoolboy and following numerous delays.

Juries do not typically sit for inquests but can be summoned in certain circumstances. Noah’s family had requested a jury be used, with a coroner, in 2022, agreeing that it was “desirable”.

The jury deliberated for five days in total – first, for three days in June and July before the case was adjourned due to the holiday plans of some jurors; and then on Monday and Tuesday when it resumed.

The nine members – seven men and two women – had 10 questions to answer and delivered a unanimous verdict, as required by the coroners’ court.

Those questions included asking the jury to summarise the scenario in which Noah’s death occurred; to explain why he behaved how he did after he left the house; to say when and where he died; and whether the Department of Infrastructure’s management of the tunnel or the PSNI’s investigation contributed to his death.

In answering those findings, the jury found:

The finding of the time period of Noah’s death means that Noah could have died before his mother raised the alarm with the police at approximately 21.45 on 21 June 2020, or within an approximate two-hour period after he was reported missing.

There was no indication at that stage of Noah’s precise location, other than he had left his home off the Lower Ormeau Road to travel across the city to Cave Hill.

The initial police searches that evening and night covered a wide area of Belfast based on the limed information available at that stage about Noah’s intended journey from the south to the north of the city.

Noah’s presence in the Northwood Road area was not known until the following day.

During the inquest, the Department for Infrastructure was criticised about aspects of its maintenance of the tunnel in terms of public access and safety.

The PSNI was also strongly criticised by the legal team representing Fiona Donohoe.

During the inquest, the police chief in charge of the investigation apologised to the boy’s mother for “missed” investigative opportunities.

Before the jury resumed their deliberations on Monday 14 September, the coroner Mr Justice Rooney announced that one juror, who had taken part in the previous phase of the deliberations, had been discharged.

No reason was given in public for the man’s removal from the process.