Inquest finds failings but no police or tunnel link to Noah Donohoe death
An inquest jury found failings by police and infrastructure officials in the case of Noah Donohoe, but said these did not contribute to the 14-year-old's death.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
An inquest into the death of 14-year-old Noah Donohoe has concluded that neither the police nor the government department responsible for infrastructure contributed to his death, despite identifying failings in both. The schoolboy went missing in north Belfast in June 2020 and his body was found six days later in an underground water tunnel close to the M2 motorway.
The inquest, which began in January and heard from 76 witnesses, examined the circumstances surrounding Noah's disappearance and death. A jury deliberated for five days before returning its findings on Friday. They ruled that the Department for Infrastructure (DFI) failed in its maintenance of the tunnel entrance where Noah was discovered. However, they said it was possible, but not probable, that this failure contributed to his death. The jury also listed 13 failings by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) during the investigation, including delays in checking the storm drain and a failure to secure all relevant CCTV footage.
The lead detective in the case told the inquest that he had not been "inquisitive enough" and that police had pursued the child rather than the evidence. The inquest heard that a post-mortem examination concluded Noah's cause of death was drowning. CCTV footage showed Noah cycling through Belfast on the day he went missing, later cycling naked and then abandoning his bike.
Following the verdict, a statement was read on behalf of Noah's mother, Fiona Spence. She said Noah "deserved better" and that he was failed by the Department for Infrastructure, which left a "deadly storm drain unsecured and accessible to children", and by the PSNI, which from the moment she reported him missing, "repeatedly failed to investigate". The Department for Infrastructure said it accepted the findings, while the PSNI said it noted them.
The case attracted intense speculation on social media, including false rumours of a racial or sectarian motive. The inquest concluded without answering all the questions surrounding Noah's final hours. The Police Ombudsman is now reviewing the police failings to determine whether any individual officers should face disciplinary action.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC One |
|---|---|---|
| The jury listed 13 failings by the PSNI during the investigation. | ||
| Noah's mother said he was failed by both the Department for Infrastructure and the PSNI. | · | |
| The inquest found that the Department for Infrastructure made a mistake in its maintenance of the tunnel where Noah was found. | · | |
| The inquest jury found that police did not contribute to Noah Donohoe's death. | · | |
| The lead detective admitted he was not inquisitive enough. | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The channel focused on the practical failings by police and the department, highlighting the jury's specific findings and the lead detective's admission. It also noted the ongoing Police Ombudsman review and the potential for disciplinary action, giving the story a forward-looking angle.
- “neither the police nor the government department which deals with infrastructure contributed to his death”
- “the jurors listed 13 failings by the police service of Northern Ireland during the investigation”
- “the lead detective actually told the inquest that he wasn't inquisitive enough”
The BBC report placed greater weight on the emotional impact on Noah's family, quoting his mother's statement in full. It also addressed the social media conspiracy theories and stressed that many questions remain unanswered, giving the story a more human and unresolved tone.
- “He was failed by the Department for Infrastructure, who left a deadly storm drain unsecured and accessible to children.”
- “He was failed by the PSNI, who, from the moment I reported him missing, repeatedly failed to investigate”
- “But six years and months of evidence later, countless questions about what happened to Noah Donohoe still remain unanswered.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.