CCTV Footage Shown at Inquest
Noah Donohoe's mother became emotional as CCTV footage depicting her son cycling through Belfast on the day he disappeared nearly six years ago was presented during an inquest.
The last confirmed sighting of Noah, a schoolboy, was at Northwood Road in north Belfast in June 2020. At that time, he had left his bicycle abandoned on the street and was seen naked, moving toward the back gardens adjacent to land containing the entrance to an underground water tunnel.
Six days later, Noah's body was discovered more than 600 metres downstream within the tunnel.
Evidence from CCTV Operator
On Wednesday, Neil Gibson, a civilian CCTV operator employed by a security firm and a retired officer of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), provided testimony regarding his role in monitoring CCTV footage for the PSNI and Belfast City Council.
Gibson was stationed in the CCTV suite at Musgrave police station during the hours following Noah's disappearance. While reviewing footage in the early morning hours after Noah was reported missing, Gibson identified a young boy matching Noah's description cycling from the Ormeau Road area in south Belfast, shortly after Noah left his nearby residence.
Jury Requests CCTV Replay
During Gibson's testimony, the coroner, Mr Justice Rooney, and the jury viewed the footage, which included additional clips of Noah cycling through Belfast's Cornmarket area and continuing toward Royal Avenue.
As the footage was displayed on a screen in the courtroom, Fiona Donohoe, Noah's mother, was observed weeping, bowing her head, and repeatedly wiping tears from her face while seated at the back of the courtroom.
Earlier, Fiona Donohoe had remained outside the courtroom while the jury requested the CCTV footage of Noah leaving his home in the early hours of the day he disappeared to be played again.
Complexities of CCTV Operations Discussed
Gibson was questioned about the urgency applied to the analysis of CCTV footage during the initial stages of the search for Noah. When asked whether the PSNI had failed to convey the urgency of the search to him, Gibson responded:
"I would disagree with that comment."
He further explained that the public often does not understand the complexities involved in CCTV operations, including issues related to timing, camera orientation, and the focus range of cameras.
Gibson stated that he reviewed numerous cameras across Belfast during the search and affirmed:
"I worked to the best of my ability at the time."
Police Officer's Testimony
A serving police officer, Detective Constable Johnston, also testified at the inquest on Wednesday. He was involved in seizing Noah's laptop and obtaining CCTV footage from several locations, including Northwood Road, where Noah was last seen.
When questioned about his role in collecting CCTV footage from a house near Noah's last known location and whether he was aware of multiple cameras outside that house, DC Johnston stated he:
"can't recall"
He clarified that his purpose in visiting the house was to seize footage rather than to survey the number of external cameras.
Additionally, DC Johnston responded with "I don't recall" to several other questions concerning his involvement in the Criminal Investigation Department's probe at the time.
The officer explained that he had specific duties during the investigation and was not responsible for making operational decisions.
