Inquest Hears Police Found No Initial Evidence Schoolboy Entered Tunnel
A police officer involved in the search for Noah Donohoe in 2020 stated there was “nothing to suggest” the 14-year-old had entered the storm drain tunnel where his body was later discovered. Sergeant Hutchings, the lead Police Search Advisor (PolSA) in the search, told the inquest he initially believed the teenager remained in the area where he was last seen in north Belfast.
Search and Discovery
The inquest, now in its sixth week at Belfast Coroner’s Court, is examining the circumstances surrounding Noah’s death. Noah, a student at St Malachy’s College, was found six days after leaving home on his bike to meet friends in the Cavehill area. A post-mortem examination determined the cause of death was drowning.1
Culvert Discovery and Initial Assessment
Counsel for the coroner, Declan Quinn, questioned Sergeant Hutchings about the discovery of a culvert entrance in Northwood Linear Park and the subsequent decision to search the tunnel network. Sergeant Hutchings had previously testified that he identified the culvert and authorized a search due to the accessibility of its entrance.
Community Rescue Service Input
Evidence presented by Sean McCarry from Community Rescue Service (CRS) indicated that, within five minutes of arriving at the park on the Monday following Noah’s disappearance, the culvert was identified as a potential entry point. Mr. McCarry stated he contacted Sergeant Hutchings to inform him of this possibility.1
Sergeant Hutchings’ Testimony
Sergeant Hutchings recalled receiving a call regarding Noah’s bike being found and a nearby stream, but stated he instructed Mr. McCarry to contact the officer on duty if a search was required. He was unaware that CRS members had entered the culvert on Monday. He also admitted he did not anticipate encountering a culvert of that size when he arrived at the park on Tuesday morning.
“When I got there I walked down the side of the house. That’s when I saw the culvert and the large drain,” he stated.2
Search Prioritization and Hypotheses
Sergeant Hutchings testified that the search of the storm drain was conducted to ensure complete certainty, despite initially considering it a “remarkably low probability” location. He maintained his belief that Noah was still within the area where he was last seen.3
By Thursday, police had developed two working hypotheses: Noah was missing voluntarily or was missing “under the influence of a third party.” The investigation included examining known sex offenders in the area.4
Search Deployment and Reflections
Police divers were deployed to search the tunnel outlets on Friday. Sergeant Hutchings expressed regret that he was unable to work on Saturday, the day Noah’s body was found, due to a scheduled rest day. He emphasized that the search was conducted “as quickly and safely” as possible, given the available resources. He also expressed his condolences to Noah’s family and stated his desire to have found him.3