The inquest into the death of Noah Donohoe, a teenager who disappeared and died in north Belfast in June 2020, is expected to reconvene on Monday following a summer adjournment.
The proceedings were paused at the beginning of July to accommodate holiday commitments affecting four members of the jury panel. Before the break, the eight men and two women serving on the jury had spent three days in deliberation without achieving the unanimous verdict the court requires.
Noah's body was discovered in an underground water tunnel situated close to the M2 motorway, approximately 600 metres downstream from the tunnel system's entrance. This entrance is located near Northwood Road, the location where Noah was last observed. The discovery occurred six days after he went missing.
The inquest, which commenced at the end of January, has been examining the full circumstances surrounding Noah's death. In July, the coroner, Mr Justice Rooney, characterised the adjournment situation as "unprecedented", highlighting the unusual nature of the jury's inability to reach a decision before the scheduled break.
The resumption of proceedings on Monday marks a significant moment in what has become a prolonged and complex legal inquiry into the circumstances of the teenager's death.
