An inquest jury in Belfast has concluded that failings by the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) in managing access to a storm drain possibly contributed to the death of 14-year-old Noah Donohoe, while finding that no police failings contributed to his death. The jury unanimously agreed Noah had died before he was reported missing in June 2020, though it identified a series of investigative errors made by police afterwards that limited its ability to reach conclusions on some aspects of the case. Noah's mother, Fiona Donohoe, said the inquest showed her son had been "failed" by both the DfI, which left the culvert unsecured and accessible to children, and the PSNI, which she said failed to investigate properly and then stopped seeking answers once his body was found.

The jury's findings were delivered by its foreman at Belfast Coroner's Court after 32 hours of deliberation, concluding the long-running inquest into Noah's disappearance and death. Fiona Donohoe, who attended every day of proceedings, had a statement read to media by solicitor Niall Murphy accusing the department and police of institutional defensiveness and of seeking to blame Noah rather than acknowledge their own shortcomings. Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins said she "unreservedly" accepted the jury's findings and pledged to ensure lessons were learned, while Assistant Chief Constable Davy Beck acknowledged the case as a tragedy and said the investigation had been complex and heavily scrutinised.