CCTV footage revealed that Noah Donohoe was found naked in a storm drain after going missing while cycling to meet friends in north Belfast. His mother, Fiona, raised concerns at the inquest regarding the police investigation into Noah’s disappearance and death, as well as the gaps in CCTV coverage and how he accessed the storm drain.
Noah, 14, was last seen alive on camera in Belfast city center shortly after 6 pm. Earlier on the day he disappeared, CCTV captured him leaving his home at around 3:34 am and returning at approximately 4:08 am.
During the inquest, Fiona expressed worry over the CCTV footage showing Noah’s journey across Belfast, noting different clips showing him without his bag, coat, and ultimately completely unclothed. She questioned the lack of additional CCTV footage from various locations and how Noah managed to reach the storm drain where he was found.
Fiona was alarmed by the ease with which a child could access the storm drain from a rear garden and questioned how Noah knew about its location. She last saw Noah at 5:30 pm on June 21, 2020, before he went missing. Concerned by his absence, she reported him missing to the police later that evening.
In her statement, Fiona also questioned the discovery of Noah’s laptop and book in locations different from where he was found. She disagreed with the police theory of Noah having concussion and criticized the search efforts near the storm drain. She felt unsettled by her experience at a police press conference and raised doubts about who was in possession of Noah’s phone at a specific time.
Fiona’s confidence in the police investigation was further undermined when she found a photo on Noah’s phone taken at a crucial time. She questioned the handling of the investigation and the circumstances surrounding Noah’s disappearance and death.
