Inquest Hears Conflicting Accounts About Noah Donohoe's Final Movements
An ongoing inquest into the tragic death of 14-year-old Noah Donohoe has heard distressing new details about his final moments, with witness testimony contradicting earlier police theories about a potential head injury. The teenager was found deceased in a storm drain in north Belfast in June 2020, six days after he left his home on his bicycle to meet friends in the Cavehill area of the city.
Witness Describes Fall But Disputes Head Injury Claim
Amanda Seenan, a key witness who saw Noah on the evening of June 21, 2020, told Belfast Coroner's Court that she observed a male cyclist fall from his bike on North Queen Street. In her statement, read at the hearing, Ms Seenan described the incident as "not light" and emphasised that the fall was significant, stating it "wasn't a wee fall" and that "he did go forward."
However, Ms Seenan expressed confusion about police assertions that Noah may have suffered a head injury during this incident. She stated clearly: "I didn't believe he had a head injury. I definitely didn't say he had a head injury, because I know I didn't see him hit his head. So, I was very confused as to where that was coming from."
This testimony directly contradicts a Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) press release issued during the search for Noah, which indicated that a witness had seen him fall and possibly sustain a head injury. Brenda Campbell KC, counsel for Noah's mother Fiona Donohoe, highlighted this discrepancy during proceedings.
Additional Witness Observations of Strange Behaviour
The inquest also heard from Sinead Quinn, another witness who contacted police after seeing a youth at the junction of North Queen Street and Alexandra Park Avenue. Ms Quinn testified that she observed a young male picking a bicycle up from the road, though she did not witness the fall itself.
She described seeing the individual cycle away toward Shore Road, leaving his jacket on the roadway. "I beeped the horn to point this out to him," Ms Quinn stated. "He looked startled, he didn't lift the coat, but just cycled on, which I thought was strange."
Ms Seenan similarly noted that she saw a green coat left lying on the road after Noah's fall, observing that he "got up pretty quick and pedalled away" along the bus layby after the incident.
Ongoing Inquest Seeks Answers About Tragic Death
The inquest, now in its second week, continues to examine the circumstances surrounding Noah Donohoe's disappearance and subsequent death. The 14-year-old was last seen alive on June 21, 2020, when he left his home to cycle to meet friends, with his body discovered six days later in a storm drain in north Belfast.
Fiona Donohoe, Noah's mother, has been present throughout the proceedings at Belfast Coroner's Court as the hearing seeks to establish a clearer timeline of events and determine what precisely occurred during her son's final hours. The conflicting accounts about whether Noah sustained a head injury represent a significant point of investigation as the inquest continues its work.
