Noah Donohoe Likely Entered Culvert Through Steel Bars, Inquest Finds
Noah Donohoe, aged 14, most likely climbed into a culvert through steel bars, an inquest has been informed.
The teenager was last seen in a residential area of North Belfast in June 2020, and his body was discovered six days later in an underground water tunnel.
Professor Carolyn Roberts, who prepared a report on hydrological conditions within the tunnel for the inquest, told the hearing on Tuesday that she believes Noah entered the drainage system at the culvert inlet.
She explained that vertical protection bars at the inlet were spaced widely enough to allow an adult to climb through.
The witness acknowledged that Noah might have climbed through an unlocked hatch, but considered this unlikely due to the hatch being "very heavy."
Roberts also stated it was "very unlikely" that Noah could have accessed the drainage system through a manhole.
Regarding the possibility of entry at the lower end of the system near where Noah’s body was found, she described it as "almost impossible."
She noted that the pipe immediately beyond the culvert entrance was about one metre wide, allowing Noah to pass through by crouching or crawling.
Roberts described the interior of the pipe as quite dark, with "glimmers of light" from overhead manhole positions.
She observed no significant "slime" in that section of the pipe, and described the concrete as "relatively smooth."
"I didn't see any trip hazard," she said.
Shockwave of Water in Downstream Tidal Area
Discussing conditions in the downstream tidal section of the pipeline near where Noah’s body was found beyond the Shore Road, Roberts explained that a high tide in that area would create "a shockwave of water" passing through the system.
In her report, she identified the most probable timing for the first high tide after Noah entered the culvert as between 23:30 BST and midnight on 21 June 2020, the day he disappeared.
Roberts previously told the inquest it was "very likely" that Noah drowned at that time and location.
She added that individuals tend to "succumb relatively quickly" in such environments, as the cold temperature can cause disorientation.
On Tuesday, Roberts agreed there was a possibility Noah could have died after the midnight high tide, stating,
"It could have been a later tidal cycle."
When asked by a barrister representing Noah’s mother, Fiona, whether she would defer to pathology experts who indicated the possibility that Noah’s death could have occurred up to three days after his disappearance, Roberts replied,
"Yes."
A barrister for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) informed the inquest that there is no evidence of Noah being seen above ground after approximately 18:00 on the day he disappeared, and that pathology experts identified "a window" during which he could have been alive for several days.
The lawyer added that it cannot be concluded "on the balance of probabilities" that Noah remained alive throughout that entire period.
Post-Mortem Findings and Expert Reflections
Dr Marjorie Turner, who conducted the post-mortem examination on Noah’s body, determined that his death could have occurred within hours of his disappearance.
Roberts explained that if Noah had been in the culvert for around 24 hours, he would have had to sit in cold water, a condition unsustainable for long before becoming "very cold."
She noted that people in such situations find them "terrifying" and "don't tend to act rationally."
Roberts also clarified that her report was prepared in response to instructions from the coroner's court based on the premise that Noah "is believed to have entered the storm drain."
At the conclusion of her evidence, Roberts addressed the jury and the coroner, Mr Justice Rooney, stating that the case was,
"one of the most tragic I have worked on."
Noah, a student at St Malachy's College, was found in the underground tunnel at a location beyond the Seaview football ground and adjacent to a Northern Ireland Railway (NIR) maintenance depot, near the M2 motorway.
This location is more than 600 metres downstream from the culvert entrance.
Before his disappearance, Noah had discarded or become separated from his phone, rucksack, all the clothing he was wearing, and his runners.
He later abandoned his bicycle on a pavement at Northwood Road in north Belfast and was seen naked, moving between houses near the culvert entrance, which is situated on land adjoining private back gardens.
