Jury for Noah Donohoe inquest to be selected on Thursday

A jury for the inquest into the death of Belfast schoolboy Noah Donohoe is to be selected on Thursday morning.

It comes after a large pool of potential jurors was whittled down in a process that started on Monday morning at Belfast Coroner’s Court under presiding coroner Mr Justice Rooney.

By Wednesday evening a panel of 23 had been agreed.

A ballot will take place on Thursday morning to select 11 people and four reserves.

Opening statements are expected after the jury is sworn in.

Key evidence expected to be heard during the inquest includes a statement from Noah’s mother Fiona Donohoe, the initial call to emergency services and experts.

The 14-year-old was found dead in a storm drain in the Northern Ireland capital in June 2020, six days after he went missing as he cycled to meet friends.

Ms Donohoe, who has led a high-profile campaign for answers around her son’s death, has attended Belfast Coroner’s Court every day of the selection process.

She is being supported by family members and her solicitor Niall Murphy.

Police believe Noah entered the drain in the Northwood Road area of north Belfast.

He had cycled to the area from his home in south Belfast, and was seen with no clothes on shortly before he went missing.

Before that, the schoolboy was seen falling off his bike on the Shore Road.

His disappearance prompted a major search operation with hundreds of people from across Belfast involved.

The case has attracted high levels of public interest over the unexplained nature of the death of the St Malachy’s College student.

Ms Donohoe hopes the coroner’s case will provide answers to some of the outstanding questions she has pressed for.

Her counsel, Brenda Campbell KC, told a preliminary hearing last year that Ms Donohoe wanted a “full and fearless” inquest into her son’s death.