Story perspectives

Inquest Jury Finds Infrastructure Errors Possibly Contributed to Noah Death

By Drooid · Sep 15, 2026, 10:05 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Jury Finds Infrastructure Errors

The jury found Department of Infrastructure errors possibly contributed to Noah Donohoe’s death but not probably.
The jury concluded Police Service of Northern Ireland errors did not contribute to the 14-year-old’s death.
The jury determined Noah died between 19:00 BST and midnight on 21 June 2020 in a culvert.
The jury identified 13 failings involving the Department of Infrastructure and PSNI that hampered the inquest’s conclusions.

Summary

Justice Rooney Replaces Coroner

The inquest examined testimony from 76 witnesses over 62 days of evidence.
A Public Interest Immunity certificate signed by Northern Ireland secretary in 2022 redacted police material.
Coroner Joe McCrisken recused himself in 2024 and was replaced by Justice Rooney.
Fiona Donohoe attended every day of the inquest, outside Laganside Courts after the verdict.
The jury originally comprised eight men and two women, and one member was discharged without explanation.

Summary

Phillips Issues Apology

DCI Tom Phillips apologized to Fiona Donohoe, saying she had to “force” a full investigation.
Consultant psychiatrist Dr Richard Church called the case the saddest and most unusual of his career.
The Donohoe family launched a crowdfunding campaign to finance a documentary investigating Noah’s death.
Department for Infrastructure (DfI) Minister Liz Kimmins accepted the inquest findings and pledged to learn lessons.

History

Historical Context

The 1989 Hillsborough disaster, in which 96 football fans died after police-controlled crowd crush at Sheffield’s stadium, sparked a nationwide inquiry. Lord Justice Taylor’s 1990 report condemned South Yorkshire Police for 23 critical failings and prompted the Home Office to allocate £30 million for safety reforms. Similarly, today’s inquest into 14-year-old Noah Donohoe’s 2020 death highlights Department for Infrastructure and PSNI failings, echoing the earlier demand for accountability. The legacy of Hillsborough’s reforms now pressures Northern Ireland officials to adopt transparent investigations, lest future tragedies repeat past systemic negligence.

1 of 4

Jury Finds Infrastructure Errors

The jury found Department of Infrastructure errors possibly contributed to Noah Donohoe’s death but not probably.
The jury concluded Police Service of Northern Ireland errors did not contribute to the 14-year-old’s death.
The jury determined Noah died between 19:00 BST and midnight on 21 June 2020 in a culvert.
The jury identified 13 failings involving the Department of Infrastructure and PSNI that hampered the inquest’s conclusions.

1 / 4