Likely Drowning in Storm Drain
It was "very likely" that Noah Donohoe drowned in the storm drain where his body was found on the same day he disappeared, the inquest into the schoolboy's death has been informed.
The inquest has received testimony from three experts regarding the culvert where Noah's body was discovered.
A report by Professor Carolyn Roberts on the hydrological conditions of the Premier Drive stream was presented to the inquest.
She said it was likely Noah climbed into the culvert entrance through the "vertical metal" screen bars.
Roberts described the culvert's layout as "relatively complex" and stated that for someone unfamiliar and moving in semi-darkness, it was possible to become disoriented.
She said observations, taken during a site visit in June 2021, showed the culvert was in high tide at a point near the site where Noah's body was recovered.
Her report identified the most probable time for high tide after Noah entered the culvert as between 23:30 BST and midnight on 21 June 2020.
"This is some five or six hours after his last sighting, which would allow adequate time for him to have made his way several hundred metres along the culvert," she said.
Roberts concluded it was "very likely" that the 14-year-old drowned at this time and location.
Decision Not to Install Security Screen Deemed Crucial
The inquest also reviewed evidence from Dr Mark Cooper, an expert adviser to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
Cooper provided opinions concerning the culvert, which underwent refurbishment in 2017.
Cooper said "further inquiries" needed to be made "about how and why the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) discounted the need for a security screen when they designed the 2017 refurbishment of the Premier Drive stream structure".
The inquest heard that a debris screen was installed instead of a security screen.
Cooper said the bar spacings (160-165mm) allowed an adult to squeeze through them.
His report noted that the "pre-refurbishment risk assessment" appeared to focus on risks to Rivers Agency staff rather than the general public.
He added that "no consideration was given to unauthorised access to the culvert."
"The decision not to have a security screen is crucial to this case," Cooper said.
Evidence was also presented from hydrologist Jeremy Benn, who conducted several reports on the culvert on behalf of the Department for Infrastructure.
Benn's report found that screens did not entirely eliminate the risk of flooding or injury and that the structure was "typical" of hundreds across Northern Ireland.
