Noah Donohoe: 'No evidence' Belfast teenager was attacked
- Published
A Belfast court examining the disappearance and death of 14-year-old Noah Donohoe heard there is no evidence that he was attacked, or that any other person was involved.
The Belfast teenager went missing on 21 June. His body was found in a storm drain in north Belfast six days later.
A post-mortem examination found he died as a result of drowning.
During a second pre-inquest review hearing, coroner Joe McCrisken also stressed investigations are continuing.
He said his preliminary findings were that there was no evidence that Noah had been attacked, and no evidence that any other person had been involved in his disappearance and death.
Noah's mother Fiona and aunt Niamh attended the hearing on Friday.
Counsel for the Donohoe family told the hearing that watching nine minutes of CCTV footage of Noah's route on his bicycle was the most harrowing experience of Fiona Donohoe's life and that some parts of it had now been shown to have an incorrect timestamp.
"While this nine minutes represented the most harrowing experience of Fiona Donohoe's life, to view the last recorded moments of Noah, she is appreciative of having had the opportunity to do so," solcitor Niall Murphy, representing the family, said.
He added: "Fiona acknowledges that the compilation is not a constant continuous video track of Noah's movements and notes that there are blind spots in the journey, particularly, and perhaps most relevant, the sensitive part of the journey from Skegoneill Avenue to his final sighted destination".
Noah playing the guitar on Mother's Day
Barrister Declan Quinn told the hearing CCTV obtained by police has established the teenager left his home on his bicycle at 17:41 BST on 21 June.
He travelled along the Ormeau Road towards the city centre "before cycling though Victoria Square at 5.49pm, Cornmarket, High Street and Royal Avenue at 5.50pm," he told the court.
At 17:53 he was last seen carrying his bag containing a laptop and books travelling alongside the Art College near the corner of York Street and Frederick Street.
Subsequent footage shows Noah "travelling towards Yorkgate, by which stage Noah is clearly seen to no longer be carrying his bag," Mr Quinn said. It was later discovered by a member of the public.
Noah then cycled along York Street, crossing Great Patrick Street and the motorway before turning left into Brougham Street and then right along North Queen Street at 17:57, Mr Quinn said.
The teenager's phone was found by a member of the public close to a play park at North Queen Street.
Mr Quinn told the court both items are now "being forensically examined at present".
The disappearance of the grammar school pupil caused a widespread outpouring of grief and sympathy.
At 18:00 Noah is seen cycling toward the Grove Wellbeing Centre.
At this point close to the junction with the Shore Road, Noah fell from his bike, Mr Quinn said.
The court heard a motorist stopped to assist Noah but he got back on his bicycle.
"At 6.01pm he continued along the Shore Road without his green overcoat. This item of clothing has not been recovered," Mr Quinn said.
Noah was seen entering Northwood Crescent from Skegoneill Avenue one minute later, the court heard.
He was wearing a black cycling helmet, blue hoody, grey shorts and black trainers, Mr Quinn told the hearing.
His helmet was found by a member of the public on Northwood Road, Mr Quinn added, while some his remaining clothes "were discovered by a member of the public lying on a wall" further along the same road, the barrister said.
Mr Quinn said at "6.03pm Noah is seen a short distance away".
The teenager is then seen on CCTV going between two houses "which leads to an area of waste ground behind the houses," he said.
'Inaccurate and baseless'
Mr McCrisken also expressed his concern about continued online speculation about the incident, despite his earlier appeal for it to stop.
He said most of the information online "remains inaccurate and baseless".
The coroner has asked the Attorney General to investigate the possibility of prosecuting those posting material online for contempt of court.
The next hearing is scheduled for early November.