Inquest opens into death of Belfast schoolboy Noah Donohoe

Belfast Coroners Court has begun an inquest into the death of 14-year-old Noah Donohoe, a schoolboy whose body was discovered in a north Belfast storm drain six days after he vanished while cycling to meet friends in June 2020.

The proceedings, presided over by Mr Justice Rooney, formally opened this week following a multi-day jury selection process. On Thursday, a jury of nine men and two women was sworn in, with three men and one woman selected as reserves from a narrowed pool of potential jurors. The inquest is expected to continue until late March and will examine the circumstances surrounding Noah's death, including evidence from his mother, emergency service calls, and expert witnesses.

Noah, a student at St Malachy's College, disappeared on the evening of June 21, 2020, after leaving his home in south Belfast to cycle to a meeting with two friends in the north of the city. His mother, Fiona Donohoe, contacted police that night, expressing deep concern in an emotional call. "He is never out this late, it is so unlike him," she told officers, adding, "I'm really worried, it is really not like him." She described Noah's disappearance as completely out of character, noting he...