Third day of jury selection under way ahead of Noah Donohoe inquest

By Rebecca Black, Press Association

The third day of jury selection is underway ahead of an inquest into the death of Belfast schoolboy Noah Donohoe.

Potential jurors returned to Belfast Coroner’s Court at 9.30am on Wednesday as the process to select a jury of 11 for the proceedings continued.

The court is working towards the formal opening of the inquest before Mr Justice Rooney on Wednesday afternoon.

Opening statements are expected to be heard, before evidence from Noah’s mother, Fiona Donohoe, later in the week, the initial call to emergency services and experts.

The 14-year-old was found dead in a storm drain in the Northern Ireland capital in June 2020, six days after he went missing as he cycled to meet friends.

Ms Donohoe, who has led a high-profile campaign for answers around her son’s death, has attended Belfast Coroner’s Court every day.

She is being supported by family members, and her solicitor Niall Murphy.

Police believe Noah entered the drain in the Northwood Road area of north Belfast.

He had cycled to the area from his home in south Belfast, and shortly before he went missing he was seen with no clothes on.

Prior to that, the schoolboy was seen falling off his bike on the Shore Road.

His disappearance prompted a major search operation with hundreds of people from across Belfast involved.

The case has attracted high levels of public interest over the unexplained nature of the death of the St Malachy’s College student.

Ms Donohoe is hoping the coroner’s case will provide answers to some of the outstanding questions she has pressed for.

Her counsel, Brenda Campbell KC, told a preliminary hearing last year that Ms Donohoe wanted a “full and fearless” inquest into her son’s death.