Woman Retracts Claim Noah Donohoe Was Injected with Heroin at Belfast Inquest
A woman who previously informed police that Noah Donohoe had been injected with heroin or naloxone prior to his tragic death has since clarified that this was merely a "rumour" and she possesses no concrete information regarding his disappearance. This testimony emerged during the ongoing inquest at Belfast Coroner's Court, which has now entered its twelfth week of proceedings with a jury present.
Details of the Laptop and Stolen Goods Conviction
On Wednesday, the court heard evidence from Maria Nolan, who was convicted in 2021 for handling stolen goods after being found in possession of Noah's laptop. Her accommodation was located near the Donohoe family home in Belfast. Noah Donohoe, a 14-year-old pupil at St Malachy's College, was discovered deceased in a storm drain tunnel in north Belfast in June 2020, six days after he left home on his bicycle to meet friends in the Cavehill area. A post-mortem examination conclusively determined the cause of death as drowning.
Ms Nolan testified that on June 24, 2020, a man named Daryl Paul informed her he had a laptop to sell at Cash Converters to fund drug purchases. Unaware of Noah's disappearance at the time, she believed the laptop belonged to Mr Paul and accompanied him to the store. Cash Converters declined the sale due to the absence of a charger, later alerting police to suspicions about the device. After parting ways with Mr Paul, who was subsequently arrested, Ms Nolan retained the laptop, which police later recovered from her room at Queen's Quarter Housing on University Street, directly across from the Donohoe residence.
Retraction of Previous Statements
Previous statements and police interview records were presented to the jury by counsel to the coroner, Peter Coll KC. In one statement, prepared with the Donohoe family's legal team, Ms Nolan claimed knowledge that "Noah was injected with heroin or naloxone as he travelled through" Belfast city centre, suggesting he was targeted by addicts robbing vulnerable individuals. She attributed this information to discussions within a "tight-knit" addict community where such secrets were openly shared.
However, in later police interviews and direct testimony to the inquest, Ms Nolan retracted these claims, stating she did not know them to be factual. She asserted she did not write the statement herself and felt pressured to sign it, believing she was assisting the family. "I don't know nothing else," she emphasized, clarifying that her only relevant information pertained to the laptop. She added that she first heard the injection rumour in August when assaulted by a woman who asked if she had "done it," but she never witnessed any attack or confession related to Noah.
Emotional Testimony and Ongoing Investigation
Ms Nolan described seeing a green coat similar to Noah's in Mr Paul's home but reiterated her ignorance of the missing items at the time. She expressed distress over the situation, noting she had been "hammered" by the press and public, threatened, physically assaulted, and abused over the matter. Now drug-free and attending counselling, she stated, "I feel desperately sad for Noah's mummy, I hope she gets answers."
Under questioning, Ms Nolan revealed that police seized the laptop shortly after she obtained it, mentioning only a "high-profile case" without specifying Noah's name or inquiring about his disappearance. She attributed memory lapses to drug use during that period. Brenda Campbell KC, representing Noah's mother Fiona, highlighted the family's concern that the laptop ended up with individuals so proximate to their home. The inquest will resume on Thursday as the search for answers continues.
