Police looking into ‘health and safety’ issues in Noah Donohoe inquiry

Police in Northen Ireland are investigating health and safety issues after a teenager was found dead in a storm drain, a lawyer said.

The body of Noah Donohoe (14) was recovered near the M2 motorway in Belfast last June, six days after he went missing.

A coroner’s representative told a brief review hearing at Laganside courthouse on Monday that footage surrounding Noah’s disappearance had been reviewed and the police file was almost complete.

“We have received a number of handwritten statements and materials,” barrister Declan Quinn said. “There are also a number of evidential lines of inquiry which appear to arise from the material we have received to date.”

He added that police are investigating “health and safety issues that may arise in this inquest” and that the PSNI had been actively engaging with the Department for Infrastructure.

Police believe Noah entered the drain in the Northwood Road area of north Belfast. He had cycled to the area from his home. He was seen acting unusually by members of the public and falling off his bike on Shore Road.

Major search

His disappearance prompted a major search operation, with hundreds of people involved.

Plans to hold the full inquest in January should be postponed and another review hearing scheduled instead, due to the nature of preliminary matters arising, family lawyer Niall Murphy said.

He said matters surrounding the disclosure of evidence and inquiries into health and safety and whether they may impact on progress should be better understood by then.

Mr Murphy said Noah’s mother Fiona was composing “the most traumatic and emotional statement she will ever attempt” to aid coroner Joe McCrisken’s fact-finding process.

Mr Murphy said his client wanted to create a foundation in memory of her son.

“Ms Donohoe is eternally grateful and touched by the support that she has received with regards to the awful circumstances she has had to confront.

“It is her intention to memorialise and to keep in public memory the legacy of her beautiful son Noah and it is considered that a foundation that will speak to his principles as a young person, that might inspire other young people of his age, that that foundation will be incepted, hopefully in the coming weeks.”

Police have compiled video footage which covers Noah’s journey from his home off the Ormeau Road to Northwood Road, a previous hearing was told.

Noah’s body was found by specially trained police officers between two drain access points within a section of storm drain tunnel running under the Translink public transport cleaning facility access road. - PA