Noah Donohoe: Maria Nolan convicted of handling stolen laptop

A 30-year-old woman who tried to pawn a stolen laptop which belonged to the late schoolboy Noah Donohoe has been convicted of handling stolen goods.

Maria Nolan was filmed on CCTV in June 2020 trying to trade in the computer at a Belfast Cash Converters shop alongside her accomplice Daryl Paul.

Noah Donohoe, 14, was still missing at the time, but his body was found the day after his laptop was recovered.

Nolan, currently of Linenhall Street in Armagh, will be sentenced next month.

She had contested charges, telling the police that she did not realise at the time that the laptop belonged to the schoolboy.

However, the judge at Belfast Magistrates' Court told Nolan "she took an active part" in trying to pawn the stolen computer, which police later found in her possession.

Neither Maria Nolan nor Daryl Paul have been accused of having any direct contact with the teenager before he died - the only charges the pair faced related to his stolen belongings.

Noah Donohoe's disappearance two years ago sparked a major search across north Belfast and the investigation into his death continues to be one of the most high-profile cases in Northern Ireland.

Noah left his home to go for a bike ride on Sunday 21 June 2020 and was missing for six days.

His body was found in a storm drain in north Belfast on Saturday 27 June and a post-mortem examination later concluded that he died as a result of drowning.

A full inquest into the circumstances of Noah's death was due to open in January this year but has been delayed.

On Wednesday, Belfast Magistrates' Court heard that Nolan and Paul were taking drugs together in Paul's flat when he pulled Noah's rucksack out from under his sofa.

According to a statement made by Nolan, Paul rummaged around in the rucksack and took out the stolen laptop.

Nolan said she was unaware of the schoolboy's disappearance at that time and told police: "That was the first time that I had seen anything belong to Noah, although I did not know it was Noah's at the time."

It was claimed that Daryl Paul planned to sell the laptop to get money to buy more drugs, some of which would be given to Nolan.

In her statement, Nolan at this point admitted: "Knowing Daryl, I knew that this was stolen property."

But she later backtracked on that part of her statement, claiming it had been wrongly worded.

"It was Daryl Paul's flat, so I thought he owned it," she told the court.

"I have been fully honest, cooperated and tried to help, but it has come back on me."

The court was shown CCTV footage from the Cash Converters store, which showed Nolan approach the counter alongside Paul.

She was filmed taking the laptop out of her handbag as the pair attempted to pawn it.

However, staff became suspicious about the ownership of the laptop and refused to serve them. Police were contacted after they left the store.

According to Nolan's account, she parted company with Daryl Paul that day when he decided to go on a shoplifting spree at a nearby clothes shop.

She then took the laptop back to her hostel and stored it under a chest of drawers.

After the call from Cash Converters staff, the police forced entry to Paul's flat where they discovered Noah's missing rucksack and school books.

On 26 June, 2020, police went to Nolan's hostel accommodation on Belfast's University Street where she retrieved the laptop from under a chest of drawers and handed it over to officers.

Despite insufficient evidence that Nolan was aware at the time that the computer belonged to the missing schoolboy, the judge found that Nolan would still have been aware the laptop had been dishonestly obtained and convicted her of handling stolen goods.

Explaining the reasons for her ruling, the judge cited Nolan's awareness of Paul's character, the fact he had kept it hidden under a sofa and also the location from where it was ultimately recovered by police.

"She was assuming the rights of the owner when she went to Cash Converters, she took an active part in the conversation with a member of staff there, the laptop was in her handbag, she left with it in her handbag and then returned home later on, still with the laptop," the judge said.

"I am satisfied beyond any reasonable doubt that she is guilty of the offence of handling the stolen laptop."

Nolan was released on continuing bail to await sentencing.

In a separate case last year, Daryl Paul pleaded guilty to stealing a rucksack containing Noah's laptop and schoolbooks.

He told police he found the bag on the day the boy went missing.

The judge in that case, who jailed Paul for three months, told the court at the time: "There is no overlap between this accused and the terrible tragedy that befell poor Noah."