A witness has testified at the Noah Donohoe inquest that he initially thought it was a "prank" when he observed a schoolboy cycling naked on the day the teenager disappeared. The hearing at Belfast Coroner's Court resumed on Monday after a week-long break, now entering its fourth week with a jury present.
Details of the Tragic Incident
Noah Donohoe, a 14-year-old pupil of St Malachy's College, was found dead in a storm drain in north Belfast in June 2020. This discovery came six days after he left his home on his bicycle to meet two friends in the Cavehill area of the city. A post-mortem examination later determined that the cause of death was drowning.
Witness Account of the Naked Cycling
Connor McConnell provided a statement to the inquest, which was read aloud to the jury. He recounted being at his mother's partner's house on Sunday, June 21, 2020, when he saw a male cycling naked past the living room window on Northwood Road. "I initially thought that this was a prank," his statement revealed.
Mr McConnell described going outside after the incident and noticing items of clothing scattered on the street. A second statement detailed his observations further: "I told the police I had seen a nude male cycling up the street, and had observed his shoes neatly placed on the footpath and shorts and boxers looked like they had been stepped out of. These were also on the footpath, as were a T-shirt and hoodie, which I believed also belonged to the male."
Additional Observations and Police Contact
The witness also mentioned seeing a dark car driving up the street and two men conversing at the top of the cul-de-sac, though he concluded these events were unrelated to the naked cyclist. Audio recordings of two phone calls Mr McConnell made to police on the Monday and Tuesday following Noah's disappearance were played for the jury. He informed the inquest that he believed he had made three calls to authorities, including two on the Sunday night.
Noah's mother, Fiona Donohoe, has attended every day of the proceedings, underscoring the personal impact of this case. The inquest continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragic death of the young student.
