A witness testified he saw 14-year-old Noah Donohoe cycling naked on the day he disappeared in June 2020 and initially thought it was a "prank." Connor McConnell's statements were presented to the jury as the inquest into the schoolboy's death resumed on Monday at Belfast Coroner's Court.
McConnell was sitting in his living room when he spotted the teenager. «While at the house, I was sat facing the living room window that looks out onto Northwood Road when I saw a male cycle past the window naked. "I initially thought that this was a prank,"» his statement read.
The witness also observed clothing items on the street. «I told the police I had seen a nude male cycling up the street, and had observed his shoes neatly placed on the footpath and shorts and boxers looked like they had been stepped out of. "These were also on the footpath, as were a T-shirt and hoodie, which I believed also belonged to the male,"» McConnell stated in a second statement.
The jury heard audio recordings of two phone calls McConnell made to police on the Monday and Tuesday after Noah went missing. McConnell believed he had made three calls, including two on the Sunday night of the sighting.
Background to the case
Noah Donohoe, a pupil at St Malachy's College, disappeared after leaving his home on his bike to meet two friends in the Cavehill area. His body was found six days later in a storm drain in north Belfast. A post-mortem examination determined the cause of death was drowning.
The inquest is now in its fourth week. Noah's mother, Fiona Donohoe, has attended every day of the proceedings.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
