Witnesses tell inquest of seeing Noah Donohoe’s bike and helmet

By Jonathan McCambridge (Press Association)

Witnesses have told the Noah Donohoe inquest how they saw the teenager’s bike, helmet and items of clothing on the street after he went missing.

Noah was 14 when he was found dead in a storm drain in north Belfast in June 2020, six days after leaving home on his bike to meet two friends in the Cavehill area of Belfast.

The inquest into his death is now in its third week at Belfast Coroner’s Court.

Noah’s mother Fiona Donohoe has attended every day of the proceedings.

The court heard on Monday from residents of Northwood Road in north Belfast, which is close to the storm drain and the location of the last sighting of Noah.

Chris Morrow said he had been visiting a relative in the Northwood Road on the evening that Noah went missing on June 21 2020.

Mr Morrow said when he was leaving later he saw a black bike sitting on its side on the footpath.

He said the following day when he finished work he noticed a black helmet on the street and alerted police after seeing a social media post about a missing boy.

Mr Morrow told the inquest that he did not see Noah in the area.

The witness was shown CCTV footage from the street on the evening of Noah’s disappearance which features feet and legs along with shadows moving in the top right corner of the footage.

He said one of the pairs of feet were his and the second were his eldest daughter’s.

Mr Morrow said he was made aware of the CCTV footage when police called to his house two weeks ago.

The statement of Mr Morrow’s wife Lauren was then read to the court.

She said she was leaving her grandfather’s house in Northwood Road at around 7pm on the evening of Noah’s disappearance when she saw a black bike lying on its side.

Ms Morrow said she then took her dog for a walk and went into Northwood Crescent where she saw a black skater helmet beside a lamppost.

She said: “I noticed it as it was brand new, and I had thought to myself, why was it sitting there?

“It didn’t appear to have any damage to it.”

The inquest then heard from Lauren Russell. Her statement said she had gone to check her front door was locked when she saw a navy jacket lying over a neighbour’s wall.

She went outside and saw a pair of dark trainers with a bright orange or yellow Nike tick on the ground.

She said: “When I looked at it, it was as if somebody had placed them there.”

Last week, the inquest heard from Noah’s friends and witnesses who had seen the 14-year-old cycling on his bike.

One witness told how she saw Noah cycling naked in Northwood Road before he disappeared, and another said she discovered his bike outside her house.

Ms Russell said she had wondered whether the items belonged to workmen as her neighbour had been getting work done.

The inquest continues.

Fiona Donohoe and her 14 year old son Noah