No verdict as Noah Donahoe inquest adjourned

The inquest into the death of Noah Donohoe, a 14-year-old Belfast schoolboy, has been adjourned after the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict. The jury deliberated for 25 hours across three days before the court was suspended. The adjournment was necessitated by the unavailability of some jurors to reconvene at a future date.

Mr Justice Rooney, the Coroner, stated that the inquest would resume once all 10 jurors are available, though no timeframe for the adjournment has been provided. The jury was tasked with considering the evidence presented regarding Donohoe's death, which occurred in June 2020. His body was discovered in an underground water tunnel in the north of the city, six days after he went missing.

The inquest, which began in January, heard testimony from 76 witnesses and reviewed statements from an additional 42 individuals. The proceedings also involved extensive evidence, including maps, video footage, photographs, police logs, and expert reports. A post-mortem examination concluded that the cause of Noah's death was drowning.

Noah's mother, Fiona, has attended every day of the inquest. Addressing the jury, which comprised eight men and two women, Coroner Mr Justice Rooney emphasized that their findings must be based solely on the evidence presented in court and must be unanimously agreed upon.

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The inquest would resume when all 10 jurors are available.