CCTV footage of Noah Donohoe has prompted ‘some responses’, court told
By Jonathan McCambridge, PA
A public appeal containing CCTV footage showing some of the last known moments of Noah Donohoe’s life has led to “some responses”, a court has been told.
A coroner also said the delayed inquest into the death of the Belfast teenager is set to begin on January 19th.
Mr Justice Rooney was also told that it was hoped a statement from a former senior PSNI officer involved in the initial search for Noah would be finalised soon.
Noah, 14, was found dead in a storm drain in north Belfast in June 2020, six days after he went missing as he cycled to meet friends.
Mr Justice Rooney is presiding over the inquest for the St Malachy’s College pupil.
The inquest, before a jury, has been delayed on a number of occasions.
The latest in a lengthy series of preliminary hearings into the case took place at the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast on Tuesday.
Noah’s mother, Fiona Donohoe, watched proceedings via a remote link.
Counsel for the coroner, Peter Coll KC, updated the court on preparations for the inquest.
He told the court that work is advancing on receiving material from investigative journalist Donal MacIntyre.
The reporter, known for his undercover TV investigations, has been probing the disappearance of Noah. His investigation has been funded by online donations.
A previous hearing was told that a witness statement from former PSNI chief superintendent Muir Clark was still outstanding.
Mr Clark was involved in leading the police response to the disappearance of Noah in 2020 and was the officer who confirmed that his body had been discovered.
There have been some responses received by the Coroners Service from members of the public in respect of that appeal for information.
Mr Clark has since left the PSNI and is now the Commissioner of Police for the Royal Anguilla Police Force.
Mr Coll told the hearing that the PSNI had been in further contact with Mr Clark, and it was “anticipated his statement should be available quite soon”.
Representing the PSNI, Donal Lunny KC said there had been “further engagement” with Mr Clark.
He added: “I can’t make a commitment on his behalf, my client doesn’t have any responsibility for him, but I would hope that would be finalised very shortly.”
Mr Coll then turned to the release last month of CCTV footage which showed Noah leaving his house in the early hours of the day he disappeared, and returning barefoot and without his headphones.
The footage was released by the coroner as part of a public appeal for information to assist the inquest.
The barrister said: “There have been some responses received by the Coroners Service from members of the public in respect of that appeal for information.
“Those have been disseminated with the PIPs (properly interested persons), and it remains on the agenda whether there are any arising steps to be taken.”
Turning to the scheduling of the coronial proceedings, Mr Justice Rooney said what he was “really anxious about” was when the inquest would start.
Mr Coll said the “direction of travel” from counsel involved in the case suggested it would be January 19th.
Mr Justice Rooney said: “So we are moving towards January 19th to start the inquest.”
The coroner said two days would be set aside in the preceding week to deal with any outstanding issues ahead of the inquest starting.
Another review hearing will take place on November 25th.
