Man Admits Dishonesty Over Theft of Noah Donohoe's Laptop
A man who found and stole the missing laptop of Noah Donohoe has admitted during an inquest that he lied to police about his intentions with the device.
Daryl Paul was questioned by a barrister representing Noah's mother, Fiona Donohoe, regarding what he planned to do with the laptop after discovering it on the day Noah disappeared.
At the time of the schoolboy's death, Paul was serving a prison sentence for an unrelated matter. After his release later that year, police questioned him about possessing Noah's rucksack and laptop.
Paul initially told police he did not intend to sell the laptop. However, the family barrister challenged this, stating he intended to "flog" it for money. She accused him of telling
"lie after lie after lie"about his plans for the laptop.
When asked directly if he lied, Paul acknowledged,
"I was being dishonest"while at the police station and expressed regret for his actions.
The barrister asserted,
"You had been trying to sell it from the minute you came upon it". When questioned about his motive, Paul replied,
"Possible, yeah"when asked if he wanted money to buy drugs.
The Donohoe family lawyer accused Paul of
"telling lies to cover-up the full extent of your criminality, Mr Paul".
Paul's Account of Finding the Laptop and Denials
Paul described finding Noah's bag near Ulster University but firmly denied any involvement in the boy's death or disappearance.
He also denied possessing a missing coat belonging to Noah, rejecting testimony from two witnesses who claimed to have seen a similar coat with him. Paul insisted,
"I did not have Noah's coat".
Noah Donohoe, a 14-year-old student at St Malachy's College, was separated from his personal belongings, including the laptop and all clothing he was wearing, before disappearing on 21 June 2020. His naked body was discovered six days later in a water tunnel near the M2 in North Belfast.
Paul found the laptop on the evening of Noah's disappearance and later pleaded guilty to stealing the rucksack containing the laptop and schoolbooks.
The court case against Paul related solely to the theft of Noah's belongings and was not connected to other aspects of the schoolboy's disappearance and death.
Inquest Proceedings and Video Evidence
Paul appeared as a witness at the inquest on Thursday, taking the stand at the front of the courtroom opposite Fiona Donohoe, who observed from a corner at the back.
The inquest included statements and a video relating to Paul's involvement in the theft of Noah's laptop.
The video, recorded in May 2021, showed Paul wearing a grey tracksuit, baseball cap, and Covid-19 face mask as he spoke to journalists about finding Noah's backpack at a temporary construction walkway near Ulster University on the evening of the disappearance.
Paul described bringing the bag and its contents home and later discovering the laptop inside. He said,
"It's something I have to live with. I'm sorry."
Near the end of the video, Paul stated,
"The truth will come out. I'm just a scapegoat"and added,
"Every time, it's just a new rumour."
In the interview, Paul also discussed his addiction issues and appealed to anyone with information about Noah's case, saying,
"It's never too late to do the honourable thing."
Statements and Appeals from Paul
In a statement to the inquest, Paul said that on the day he found Noah's rucksack, he was on bail and electronically tagged. He claimed he was unaware of Noah or that he was missing at the time.
"I never met or even seen Noah,"he said.
Paul also addressed
"untrue rumours"linking him to the wider case surrounding Noah's disappearance, stating that he and his family had been threatened.
He reiterated an appeal for anyone with information to come forward:
"I honestly feel that if anyone knows what happened to him, they should come forward."
Paul expressed distress over the rumours, stating that had he known the trouble it could cause, he would never have touched Noah's belongings.
Late in the afternoon, Paul requested a break in proceedings and is expected to resume testimony on Monday.
