Warning Signs Before Noah Donohoe's Disappearance
The fact that Noah Donohoe was naked when he went missing was highlighted as a warning sign that something had gone wrong prior to his disappearance, a police witness told the inquest.
Noah's body was discovered in an underground water tunnel six days after he vanished in north Belfast in June 2020.
Detective Chief Inspector Sam McCallum, a member of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) involved in the investigation into the schoolboy's disappearance, gave evidence at the inquest on Wednesday.
McCallum informed the coroner, Mr Justice Rooney, and the jury that Noah being described as naked before he disappeared was viewed as
"a warning" that "something had gone wrong"during his bicycle ride into north Belfast.
Police Efforts and Investigation Scale
The witness detailed the extensive police response, explaining that large numbers of officers and CID detectives were engaged in the case at the time.
He said officers were deployed
"right, left and centre"and the investigation had
"the benefit of all detectives in Belfast, bar a few".
He emphasized the urgency of the case, stating it was being treated as
"urgent, urgent, urgent".
McCallum described how
"time was certainly of the essence"particularly in locating Noah's missing laptop, which could potentially provide clues about his whereabouts.
The witness was part of the police team that searched a flat where Noah's missing rucksack was found, and he was involved in efforts to recover the laptop. Subsequently, two individuals appeared in court in connection with the laptop.
Focus on Missing Laptop Over Other Items
During questioning, McCallum addressed police efforts to locate a green coat Noah was wearing before his disappearance, which remains unfound.
He stressed that the priority was to find the laptop because it might contain information about possible contacts, while the missing coat and rucksack were of lesser focus.
He stated,
"The green coat's not going to bring us to Noah, the bag is not going to bring us to Noah."
He added that the priority was to
"get to that laptop"and access its contents to determine if it held any information that could lead investigators to Noah.
McCallum noted that police resources needed to be allocated
"where they need to be".
Regarding the investigation's pace, he acknowledged,
"Were things rushed, yes, because they had to be."
Reports of Noises After Disappearance
The witness was questioned about various reports received by police concerning noises and sounds heard in the area in the hours following Noah's disappearance.
Police received a call from a woman whose daughter was in Dunlambert Avenue, near where Noah was last seen on Northwood Road, who reported hearing
"a loud scream"at 18:25 GMT on 21 June 2020, approximately 20 minutes after Noah was last sighted.
When asked why a statement was not taken from the woman, McCallum explained he was aware of
"a number of screams"reported after Noah's disappearance and that not all information requires formal statements as it is considered within the broader investigation.
He indicated that
"the last thing we were going to do"was to take statements from people when police resources were needed elsewhere in the investigation.
Challenges in Recollection and Investigation Pace
McCallum also informed the inquest that he could not recall certain aspects of the investigation during his involvement.
He explained that recalling every detail six years later was difficult because
"it was a high-pressure scenario"and the investigation was
"moving at pace"at the time.
