Overview
- A jury of eight men and two women began considering evidence in the inquest, sitting for about five hours on Tuesday and returning for a second day to reach unanimous answers to a court‑prepared questionnaire.
- Jurors must answer whether Noah died on a specific date and whether any errors by the Police Service of Northern Ireland during the search more than minimally contributed to his drowning.
- The inquest heard nearly six months of material including CCTV, 76 live witnesses, 42 witness statements, police logs, maps and expert reports that trace Noah’s detour, show him on Northwood Road and record his body being found in a storm drain on 27 June 2020.
- Mr Justice Rooney told jurors they must base findings only on evidence heard in court and that only mistakes shown to have happened before Noah died can be treated as contributory to his death.
- Noah’s mother, Fiona Donohoe, attended every day of the inquest and the jury’s forthcoming conclusions could prompt scrutiny of PSNI search procedures and affect public confidence in how missing‑person searches are recorded and carried out.