Noah Donohoe inquest adjourned after jury fails to reach unanimous verdict

The jury at Belfast Coroner's Court has been unable to reach a unanimous verdict after 25 hours of deliberation over three days. The inquest has been adjourned until all 10 jurors are available, potentially in August or September.

Belfast inquest into schoolboy's death adjourned without verdict

The inquest into the death of 14-year-old Noah Donohoe has been adjourned without a verdict after the jury at Belfast Coroner's Court failed to reach unanimous agreement, RTÉ News reports.

The decision to adjourn came at 12.45am, following 25 hours of deliberation across three days. Mr Justice Kevin Rooney confirmed the inquest would resume only when all 10 jurors are available, noting that they had "run out of time" — adding "that is the problem."

Some jurors were unable to return to court on Thursday morning, prompting the Coroner to postpone proceedings rather than continue in their absence. Rooney warned the jury that they remain in deliberations until the inquest resumes, with August or September cited as possible dates.

The jury of eight men and two women has been tasked with agreeing findings on 10 questions, including the date of Noah's death and whether any errors by police contributed to it.

Noah's naked body was discovered in an underground water tunnel in north Belfast in June 2020, six days after he went missing. He was 14 years old. A post-mortem examination determined the cause of death to be drowning.

The inquest began in January at Belfast Coroner's Court and has drawn on testimony from 76 witnesses, written statements from a further 42 individuals, and a substantial body of documentary evidence including maps, video footage, police logs and expert reports.

Addressing the jury the previous morning, Rooney reiterated that findings must be based solely on evidence heard in court and reached by unanimous agreement.

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

Source: RTÉ News