Stormont Official Enters Culvert Connected to Noah Donohoe Inquest
A senior Stormont official described entering what was termed "the belly of the beast" when he accessed an underground tunnel associated with the death of schoolboy Noah Donohoe, the inquest into the teenager's death has revealed.
Noah Donohoe, aged 14, disappeared in north Belfast in June 2020 after cycling across the city from his home in south Belfast. The last confirmed sighting of Noah was in the Northwood Road residential area, near a concrete and steel culvert entrance to the local drainage system.
Although there is no definitive evidence that Noah entered the culvert inlet, the location remains a significant focus of the inquest because his body was discovered more than 600 metres downstream, six days after his disappearance.
One hypothesis presented is that Noah may have entered the tunnel after being seen running between houses on Northwood Road, heading towards the back gardens adjacent to the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) culvert entrance.
Confined Spaces Team Involvement
On Tuesday, Jonathan McKee, a senior official from the Department for Infrastructure, returned to provide evidence for a third day during the inquest proceedings.
McKee testified that in the previous year he entered the upper section of the tunnel to evaluate the internal conditions. He was equipped with specialised protective gear and accompanied by a trained confined spaces team during this assessment.
During questioning, a barrister representing Noah's mother, Fiona, asked McKee if his entry into the tunnel was to investigate whether Noah could have climbed a ladder inside the tunnel and pushed a manhole cover above to escape.
"Not at all, not at all,"
McKee responded, denying that his exploration was intended to demonstrate Noah's potential exit route.
He explained that his purpose was to enhance his personal understanding of the tunnel environment ahead of the inquest, stating he wanted:
"to try to understand it and explain it".
McKee also detailed a comprehensive review conducted across 750 locations in Northern Ireland where culvert screens were installed, following Noah's death. The review recommended replacing 15 of these debris screens with security screens.
The inquest heard that the north Belfast culvert entrance near Noah's last sighting was fitted with a debris screen, which was "probably" unlocked at the time. However, questions have been raised regarding whether the DfI should have installed a locked security screen at this location.
McKee stated that the presence of a debris screen at this site ensured it "wasn't a problem site" concerning flood risk.
Easy Access and Safety Considerations
The Department for Infrastructure clarified that a debris screen is designed to catch large debris to prevent flooding and can remain unlocked to allow escape if someone becomes trapped inside the culvert. In contrast, a security screen is intended to prevent unauthorised public access to the culvert.
The department explained that one factor considered before installing a debris screen at the north Belfast culvert was that access was limited to residents of four homes whose back gardens adjoin the area.
The inquest was informed that the Health and Safety Executive contacted the DfI the year following Noah's death, noting there was "fairly easy access to the culvert and grille." It recommended that if a security grille was deemed inappropriate, the department should proactively warn residents about the dangers to prevent access from the most exposed approach.
However, the inquest heard that such warnings were not issued.
McKee acknowledged the department must balance numerous factors and that maintaining culverts involves complex practicalities, stating:
"The practicalities involved in the process of maintaining culverts are not always easy".
He was extensively questioned about the type of screen used at the site, with particular attention on the absence of a locked security screen at the time of Noah's disappearance.
