Hearing told police lost bodycam footage in Noah Donohoe case

POLICE have admitted that body-worn camera footage of a witness in the disappearance and death of 14-year-old Noah Donohoe has been lost, a preliminary hearing ahead of the teenager’s long-delayed inquest today heard.

The disclosure was made during a Nisa Prius hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast as part of preparations for the jury inquest into Noah’s death.

Noah, whose family is from Strabane, was found dead in a storm drain in north Belfast in June 2020, six days after he went missing.

The Nisa Prius hearing – which resolves issues ahead of the inquest commencing – heard that upon requests by Noah’s mother Fiona for police to disclose material police found that bodyworn footage of a witness was lost.

The footage was taken on body-worn cameras by officers on a Belfast street in 2021, who asked the person ‘four questions’ about the disappearance.

However, when requested by Ms Donohoe, the police said the footage was lost due to an ‘operator error’.

Ms Donahoe also requested for two statements from police officers; one being a sergeant who managed the operation which recovered Noah’s body and another being a Detective Chief Superintendent, who briefly oversaw the area at the time.

A legal representative for the PSNI said that the sergeant’s evidence would be ‘pointless’ and that a statement from the senior officer wouldn’t be able to address the issues sought after.

Additionally, during the hearing, a request was made on behalf of Ms Donohoe for her solicitor to accompany her for an interview by an expert psychiatrist, commissioned by the coroner, to assist in making an assessment of Noah before his death.

The police objected to the application, stating that it was ‘abnormal’ for legal representatives to attend as ‘moral support’. However, Coroner Mr Justice Rooney approved her request, but said that the solicitor must act as support and not as someone representing Ms Donohoe.

After addressing other issues relating to preparing the inquest, the Coroner said he was ‘determined’ to keep the case on track for the start of the inquest on January 19.

In the meantime, counsel acting for the various parties will convene and another preliminary hearing will be held ahead of the inquest.