Noah Donohoe, 14, disappeared from his Belfast home on June 21, 2020, and was found drowned in a storm drain six days later. His mother, Fiona Donohoe, told a coroner’s hearing she feared something was wrong when he did not answer his phone and had been unusually low in the days before he vanished. CCTV reportedly shows him traveling several miles from home, discarding belongings and later cycling naked; police have suggested he may have fallen from his bike. The inquest is ongoing as the family seeks answers.
Mother Describes 'Living Nightmare' After 14-Year-Old Son Was Found Dead In Belfast Storm Drain
PSNINoah Donohoe
The mother of 14-year-old Noah Donohoe has given an emotional account at a coroner’s hearing about the days after her son vanished and before his body was found in a storm drain in Belfast in June 2020.
Liam McBurney/PA Images via GettyFiona Donohoe
Timeline And Investigation
Noah left his home on a bicycle on the evening of June 21, 2020, at about 5:40 p.m. local time. His body was recovered from a storm drain six days later. An autopsy recorded drowning as the cause of death, and police have said there was no immediate evidence of foul play, according to reports.
Jim Corr/PA Images via GettyA missing person poster is pictured following Noah Donohoe's disappearance
Mother's Court Statement
At a coroner’s hearing in Belfast on Jan. 22, Noah’s mother, Fiona Donohoe, described the period between his disappearance and discovery as "a living nightmare." A recorded video statement played in court captured her describing growing alarm when Noah did not answer his phone and her concern about a recent change in his mood.
Press Association via AP ImagesFiona Donohoe, accompanied by her sister Niamh, delivers a petition to police headquarters in 2022
“My instinct told me something wasn’t right. Over the last week he had not been himself at all,” she told investigators. “We were a team in every aspect of our lives together. I miss every detail of my beautiful darling Noah.”
CCTV Footage And Behaviour Before Disappearance
Investigators reviewed CCTV that reportedly showed Noah riding through an area roughly three miles from his home — a place he had not previously visited. The footage also indicated that at some point on the day he vanished he discarded his clothing, his rucksack and his phone, and was later seen cycling without clothes. Police have suggested a fall from his bicycle may have occurred.
Niall Carson/PA Images via GettyNoah Donohoe's coffin is pictured beside a photo of the late teenager and his mother
The coroner also released earlier unseen CCTV showing Noah leaving the house in the early hours of the morning wearing a T-shirt and shorts and carrying headphones, then returning about 30–40 minutes later barefoot and without the headphones. Fiona Donohoe told the court she had no explanation for those movements and said she hopes the inquest will provide answers.
Mental Health Concerns And Family Account
In a 911 call played in court, the mother said she had been "very concerned" about her son’s mental health in the week before he disappeared. She recounted seeing him crying earlier the day he left and described recent mood changes that were out of character.
Questions Raised At The Inquest
During the hearing, Fiona Donohoe questioned whether investigators might have overlooked evidence that conflicted with the police theory that Noah had sustained a concussion after falling from his bike. The inquest into Noah’s death remains ongoing, and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has declined to comment while proceedings continue.
This account is based on reporting from RTÉ, The Guardian, The Irish Times and PEOPLE.
Help us improve.
