'Very likely' Noah Donohoe drowned in storm drain, inquest hears

It is "very likely" Noah Donohoe drowned on the day he disappeared in the storm drain where his body was later discovered, the inquest into the schoolboy's death has been told.

The inquest has been hearing evidence from three experts about the culvert where Noah was discovered.

A report from Prof Carolyn Roberts, on hydrological conditions in the Premier Drive stream, was read to the inquest.

She said it was likely Noah climbed into the culvert entrance through the "vertical metal" screen bars.

Roberts said the layout of the culvert was "relatively complex and for an unfamiliar person moving in semi-darkness, in my opinion it would appear possible to become disorientated".

She said observations, taken during a site visit in June 2021, showed the culvert was in high tide at a point near the site where Noah's body was recovered.

Her report found the most likely time for high tide in the period after Noah entered the culvert was between 23:30 BST and midnight on 21 June 2020.

"This is some five or six hours after his last sighting, which would allow adequate time for him to have made his way several hundred metres along the culvert," she said.

Roberts said it was "very likely" the 14-year-old drowned at this time and location.

The inquest also heard evidence contained in an expert report from Dr Mark Cooper.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland expert adviser gave a series of opinions relating to the culvert, which was refurbished in 2017.

Cooper said "further inquiries" needed to be made "about how and why the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) discounted the need for a security screen when they designed the 2017 refurbishment of the Premier Drive stream structure".

The inquest heard a debris screen was installed and not a security screen.

Cooper said the bar spacings (160-165mm) allowed an adult to squeeze through them.

His report added that the "pre-refurbishment risk assessment" seemed to focus on the risk to Rivers Agency staff and not to members of the public.

He added that "no consideration was given to unauthorised access to the culvert."

"The decision not to have a security screen is crucial to this case," Cooper said.

The inquest also heard evidence provided by a hydrologist, Jeremy Benn, who conducted a number of reports on the culvert on behalf of the DfI.

His report found that screens did not completely remove the risk of flooding or injury and that the structure was "typical" of hundreds across Northern Ireland.

The inquest continues.