Noah Donohoe inquest live updates as resident who found teen’s bike outside her house gives evidence
The inquest into the death of the Belfast schoolboy continues at Laganside Court on Thursday
Solicitor Niall Murphy and Fiona Donohoe, the mother of 14-year-old Noah Donohoe, outside Belfast Coroner’s Court (Image: Liam McBurney/PA Wire)
The storm drain where Noah Donohoe’s body was found could only be accessed through a small number of houses, an inquest has heard.
Noah was 14 when he was found dead in a storm drain in north Belfast in June 2020, six days after leaving home on his bike to meet two friends to travel to the Cavehill area of Belfast.
The inquest into his death has been taking place at Belfast’s Laganside Court and is expected to last until March of this year.
Today, Northwood Road resident Karen Crooks told the jury that an area of wasteland where the culvert was located could be accessed through a side gate at her property.
Nessa Murnaghan, barrister for the Department of Infrastructure, said there was a 1.8m metal fence was around the area of the park containing the storm drain.
Ms Murnaghan said that the only other way of accessing the area was to “trespass” through Ms Crooks’ property, or that of a neighbour.
Ms Crooks said she had searched the area around her property after Noah went missing, and took part in a community search. She said she did not search the culvert.
Mr Crooks also told the inquest that on the evening of Sunday, June 21, 2020, she found a bike at the back of her car. She said she lifted the bike about an hour later.
She said the bike was still there the following night. She then contacted police after seeing a post on social media about Noah’s disappearance.
So far the inquest has heard from Noah’s friends and teachers who talked about the teenager’s character and behaviour in the days and weeks prior to his disappearance.
On Wednesday, the inquest heard from a number of witnesses who saw Noah on the day of his disappearance. This included a driver, Amanda Seenan, who saw Noah fall from his bike on North Queen Street in North Belfast.
She raised concerns that a statement that she had made to police led to the force creating a theory that Noah had suffered a head injury during the fall. She told the inquest that she never said to police that she thought Noah had suffered a head injury.
Another witness, Beryl Smith, told the hearing that she had seen Noah cycle pass the window of her home on Northwood Crescent and appeared to be removing his helmet, while another witness Krzysztof Kozakiewicz, said he had seen the teen on Northwood Road without a top on.
Witness saw two men talking to someone on Northwood Road after seeing Noah
Kerry Fraser has said that she saw two people talking to someone at a property on Northwood Road shortly after seeing Noah. She did not know who they were and said she “could not see that far”.
Witness saw Noah riding his bike naked
A witness has told the Noah Donohoe inquest that she saw the schoolboy riding his bike naked on the evening he went missing.
Kerry Fraser said she was at her partner’s house in Northwood Road in Belfast on the evening of June 21 2020 when she saw a male riding a bike past the house towards the top of the cul-de-sac.
Her statement was read to the court. It said: “He was totally naked.
“I thought it was a man who had had too much to drink on Father’s Day and was having a prank.
“He was tall, had an afro hairstyle, and was black.
“He was sitting down cycling and did not appear to be distressed, although he was cycling quickly.
“I got up and went to the window and looked out, but he was away.
“I thought he must have gone into one of the houses.”
Her statement added: “I could see grey shorts with white boxers in them.
“A few doors down I could see a jumper over the wall and a pair of trainers placed neatly against the wall.”
Ms Fraser said she could see Noah’s bike lying on the road in the cul-de-sac.
‘Car seen speeding down the street’ after sighting of Noah on Northwood Road
A witness reported to police that after seeing Noah on Northwood Road, they saw a car a short time later speeding down the street with two people inside. The witness told police they thought they were looking for someone.
Ms Crooks not aware of reports of noises or torches being used in an area close to where the schoolboy’s body was found
A witness has told the Noah Donohoe inquest she was not aware of reports of noises or torches being used in an area close to where the schoolboy’s body was found on the night before he went missing.
Karen Crooks, a resident of Northwood Road in Belfast, continued giving evidence to the inquest after lunch.
Brenda Campbell, barrister for Noah’s mother Fiona Donohoe, asked the witness if she was aware of a neighbour hearing noises at the back of their house at around 1.30am the night before Noah went missing.
Ms Crooks said she was not.
Ms Campbell asked: “Did you hear any noises?”
Ms Crooks said she had not.
The barrister asked if she was aware there were “torches in the area that night?”
Ms Crooks said she was not aware of that.
Resident ‘heard three noises’ in early hours of the morning
A Northwood Road resident told police in a questionaire that they heard three noises at 1.30am. The noises were recorded on the document as ‘eek’ and ‘urg’.
Resident ‘saw Noah taking his top off’
Another questionaire of a Northwood Road resident said they saw Noah take his top off and place it on a wall.
House to House questionaire said local resident found trainers
A house to house questionaire carried out by police at a property on Northwood Road said that Noah’s trainers were found outside of 61 Northwood Road.
Inquest resumes after lunch
The inquest hearing has started again after a lunch break.
Hearing takes break for lunch
The hearing is due to resume again at 2pm.
Ms Crooks asked about who ‘the feet are’ in CCTV footage moments before Noah is seen on Northwood Road
Ms Crooks has been shown CCTV footage of Northwood Road in the minutes prior to Noah being seen and dropping his bike.
A pair of feet can been seen at the top right corner of the screen and Ms Crooks has been asked if she knew who this was. She says she did not see.
Ms Crooks ‘assumed’ culvert grate would have been safe
Ms Crooks has told the hearing that prior to Noah’s death she assumed that the grate around the culvert would have been safe for children to be near as it had been built by a government body.
She says she was never warned that it could b dangerous for children to be near it.
Witness shown pictures of access routes to stream and culvert behind Northwood Road properties
Counsel for Fiona Donohoe, Brenda Campbell, is asking Ms Crooks about pictures showing access routes to the stream and culvert behind her and her neighbours properties.
Noah’s mum Fiona pictured arriving at court this morning
