Inquest into Noah Donohoe's Death Adjourned
The inquest into the death of Noah Donohoe, who was found deceased nearly a week after going missing in June 2020, has been adjourned until later this year. The decision was made by the coroner shortly before 01:00 BST on Friday, prompted by upcoming holiday plans of four jury members.
Mr Justice Rooney described the circumstances as "unprecedented". The inquest has been investigating the circumstances surrounding Noah Donohoe's death in north Belfast in June 2020.
Jury Deliberations and Late-Night Session
The jury, composed of eight men and two women, had been deliberating for three days since Tuesday morning. On the third day, they continued their session until just before 23:30 on Thursday but were unable to reach the unanimous verdict required by the court.
The late-night session was held at the Royal Courts of Justice after the hearing was relocated from the nearby Laganside Court around 18:00. During an update before 23:30, it was disclosed that two jurors would be unavailable on Friday due to planned holidays, and two others would be unavailable from Saturday for the same reason.
The minimum number of jurors required for the inquest is seven.
Jury Praised for Dedication
Following a lengthy recess, the hearing resumed just before 01:00 on Friday, when the coroner announced the adjournment of proceedings due to the holiday conflicts.
Mr Justice Rooney explained that the ten jurors had "dedicated" themselves to more than five months of the inquest since it began at the end of January.
He said it would be "wrong" not to allow all of them to be involved in the completion of the jury process.
He praised their commitment during the entire process saying they "listened intently" to the proceedings.
Mr Justice Rooney noted that the holiday-related issue had placed the process in "uncharted waters".
Praising the jury members for the role they have played at the inquest he said it "can't be right" to expect them to be rushed into a decision.
He also acknowledged the jury's exhaustion after deliberating since early Thursday morning, adding that "it would be totally wrong" to expect them to continue deliberations in the hours ahead.
Adjournment Considered the Best Option
Mr Justice Rooney stated that the best course of action was to adjourn the inquest until August or September to ensure all jury members could participate until the conclusion of the process.
Before the jurors were allowed to leave, pending their return at a later date to be agreed upon, the coroner reminded the eight men and two women not to be influenced by any factors outside the evidence presented in court.
Mr Justice Rooney said the adjournment will allow the inquest to "get it right" for Noah's mother Fiona and all interested parties at the hearing.
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