DistantNews
Support us
Culvert search 'not a priority' in Noah Donohoe case, inquest told
🇮🇪 Ireland /Crime & Justice

Culvert search 'not a priority' in Noah Donohoe case, inquest told

From Irish Times · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Investigating a culvert where Noah Donohoe's body was found was not a priority in the initial days of the search, an inquest heard.
  • The 14-year-old's body was discovered in an underground water tunnel six days after he went missing in June 2020.
  • A police constable testified that other areas were prioritized over the culvert during the early stages of the search.

An inquest into the death of Noah Donohoe heard that investigating a culvert where his body was found was not a priority for police in the first few days after he disappeared. The 14-year-old pupil from St. Malachy's College went missing on June 21, 2020, and his naked body was discovered six days later in an underground water tunnel in north Belfast.

At that point no, because I wasn’t prioritising this area as part of my search.

— Constable GeorgeThe police constable explained why he did not investigate the culvert in the initial days of the search for Noah Donohoe.

Constable George, the police search adviser at the time, told the inquest that he arrived at the scene near the culvert on the evening of June 22. He stated that he did not examine the culvert closely at that point, as he was prioritizing other areas for the search. When questioned by Brenda Campbell, counsel for Noah's mother, Fiona Donohoe, George admitted he did not consider the culvert an "attractive" place for a child to seek shelter.

Because I was prioritising other areas in that significant searching area. I was prioritising other areas.

— Constable GeorgeThe police constable reiterated his reasoning for not prioritizing the culvert during the early stages of the search.

Campbell highlighted that a community rescue service commander had assessed the culvert and deemed it a potential "hiding place" within five minutes. She suggested to George, who has experience in searching dangerous environments, that it was inexcusable he did not investigate the culvert earlier. George maintained that other locations seemed more suitable for shelter and that he prioritized those areas. He eventually visited the culvert on June 23 and June 24, noting the incoming tide and the high risk of drowning.

the culvert should be searched.

— Sean McCarryThe community rescue service regional commander's assessment of the culvert during a conversation with Constable George.

The inquest, which has been ongoing for 17 weeks, heard that Noah's body was found more than 600 meters downstream from where he was last seen. A postmortem examination determined that the cause of his death was drowning. The court was also told that George did not request divers to examine the culvert on June 23, despite observing it filling with water and recognizing the significant drowning risk.

didn’t seem in any way like an attractive place for one to go and seek shelter

— Constable GeorgeThe police constable described his initial perception of the culvert.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Irish Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog