Belfast inquest jury finds infrastructure department erred in managing culvert where Noah Donohoe died

Inquest findings and culvert management

On Tuesday, an inquest jury at Belfast Coroner's Court delivered unanimous findings regarding the death of 14-year-old schoolboy Noah Donohoe. Jurors determined that Noah died from drowning between 7pm and midnight on 21 June 2020 in the lower reaches of the Premier Drive Stream culvert between manholes 4 and 5. The panel found that the Department for Infrastructure erred by failing to recognize the culvert entrance as accessible to the public and by omitting warning signs. This failure influenced a 2017 decision to install a debris screen without a formal assessment, allowing Noah to enter the drainage network. However, the jury concluded it was not probable that the department's management of access contributed more than minimally to his death.

The jury also confirmed that investigators lacked the evidence required to explain the teenager's actions on the day of his disappearance.

No. The evidence is insufficient to enable us to reach a conclusion.

Police investigation and timeline of disappearance

Noah left his south Belfast home on his bicycle on the afternoon of Sunday 21 June 2020 to meet two friends in north Belfast. He was unaware that one friend had messaged to cancel their plans. The night before, CCTV documented him leaving home barefoot in heavy rain before returning 34 minutes later. On Sunday afternoon, witnesses observed him falling from his bicycle, discarding his clothing, and cycling naked near Northwood Road before disappearing onto waste ground by the culvert inlet.

Search teams found his body 600 metres inside the underground tunnel six days later on 27 June 2020. Jurors determined that no actions by the Police Service of Northern Ireland contributed to Noah's death based on his estimated time of death. However, they found that subsequent investigative errors by officers affected the jury's ability to reach conclusions on certain aspects of the inquiry.

Procedural delays and court proceedings

The delivery of the verdict concluded a legal process delayed for over six years by disclosure disputes and administrative changes.

Preliminary hearings began in 2020, but the initial full hearing set for January 2022 was postponed after Fiona Donohoe requested additional preparation time. Lengthy delays followed in 2022 when the Northern Ireland secretary signed a Public Interest Immunity certificate permitting police to redact certain investigation files, a move upheld by the courts in September 2022. The proceedings faced further disruption in 2024 when coroner Joe McCrisken recused himself and was replaced by Mr Justice Kevin Rooney. After a postponement from November 2025, hearings formally commenced in January 2026.

Evidence examination and final deliberations

Across 62 court days spanning almost six months, the court examined 76 live witnesses, statements from 42 individuals, maps, video footage, police logs, and expert reports. The jury originally began deliberating in late June 2026. Deliberations paused in the early hours of 3 July after three days without a unanimous verdict, prompting Mr Justice Rooney to adjourn proceedings because four jurors were scheduled for holiday leave. Deliberations resumed on 14 September after the discharge of one juror for undisclosed reasons, leaving a final panel of seven men and two women. The foreperson read out the answers to ten specific questions on Form 22 shortly after 1pm on Tuesday, completing the formal inquest.