Inquest into Noah Donohoe's Death Hears Police Search Review Raised 'Missing Person Fatigue' Concerns
The inquest into the death of schoolboy Noah Donohoe has entered its seventh week, with a jury hearing that a review of the police search raised concerns over "missing person fatigue" among officers. The proceedings at Belfast Coroner's Court continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the 14-year-old's tragic disappearance and death in June 2020.
Barrister Suggests Police Believed Noah Would 'Turn Up'
Brenda Campbell KC, representing Noah's mother Fiona Donohoe, suggested that the review indicated police had initially believed the schoolboy would "turn up, he is just another missing child." This assertion was made during questioning of a police witness, Chief Inspector Robinson, who had conducted a compliance review into the Police Service of Northern Ireland's handling of the case.
Chief Inspector Robinson, described as experienced in missing persons investigations having trained hundreds of officers, testified about a more detailed review carried out by Inspector Neill in August 2020. The court heard that Inspector Neill's report used the term "missing persons fatigue," which Chief Inspector Robinson interpreted as potentially referring to the "exceptionally high" volume of missing person reports—approximately 30 per day between 2017 and 2022.
Police Witness Defends Investigation Response
Despite the concerns raised, Chief Inspector Robinson defended the police response, stating he believed officers had "gripped" the seriousness of the search at an early stage. He explained that the investigation was quickly classified as high-risk and assigned specialist resources, describing it as a "very good response" overall.
When questioned by Ms. Campbell about whether the failure to properly handle the investigation stemmed from "missing persons fatigue," Chief Inspector Robinson responded: "I would fundamentally disagree with that." He maintained that he saw no evidence of such fatigue in Noah's case, stating it was "actually the opposite."
Details of Noah Donohoe's Disappearance and Death
Noah Donohoe, a pupil at St Malachy's College, was 14 years old when he disappeared on June 21, 2020, after leaving his home on his bicycle to meet friends in the Cavehill area of Belfast. His naked body was discovered six days later in a storm drain tunnel in north Belfast. A post-mortem examination determined the cause of death was drowning.
The inquest, which resumed on Monday with evidence from Chief Inspector Robinson, has heard various aspects of the investigation, including the handling of CCTV footage and mobile phone evidence. Ms. Campbell emphasized the importance of CCTV in missing persons cases, suggesting the jury should consider whether police adequately managed CCTV that "might have made a difference to whether or not they could have saved this child."
Questions About Investigation Details
Counsel for the coroner, Declan Quinn, questioned Chief Inspector Robinson about whether any issues raised in the review affected the speed or quality of the search for Noah. The officer replied: "I don't believe so." He addressed specific concerns, including the retrospective nature of "TLU pings" from Noah's phone, which he noted "doesn't carry the same weight" as live location data.
Regarding suggestions that Noah was "missed" on CCTV on two occasions by police the day after his disappearance, Chief Inspector Robinson acknowledged that "there will always be things in a missing person investigation which could potentially be done better," but maintained this did not change the overall conclusion of a good response. He also addressed the failure to initially record a culvert in the search area logs, stating such information "should be recorded somewhere."
The inquest continues, with proceedings set to resume on Tuesday as the jury examines further evidence in this deeply troubling case that has captured public attention and raised important questions about police procedures in missing persons investigations.
