Key Witness at Noah Donohoe Inquest Confused by Head Injury Theory

The ongoing inquest into the tragic death of 14-year-old Noah Donohoe, whose body was discovered in a North Belfast storm drain in June 2020, has heard further witness accounts detailing his movements on the evening he went missing.

Amanda Seenan, a key witness, told the inquest that she was “confused” by a police theory suggesting the schoolboy had suffered a head injury following a fall from his bike. Ms Seenan recounted that on the evening of June 21, 2020, while driving on North Queen Street, she saw a male cyclist fall from his bike near the bus layby.

When questioned about the incident, Ms Seenan described the fall as “pretty bad” but clarified that it was “not horrifically bad.” Crucially, she told the court that she did not see Noah hit his head on the road. She noted that the cyclist immediately jumped up, retrieved his bike, and cycled away quickly, although a green coat was left lying on the road.

Ms Seenan was shown a police press release from the time of Noah’s disappearance which mentioned that a witness had seen him fall and possibly suffer a head injury. She stated she was “a bit miffed” and had “no reason to believe” Noah had sustained a head injury, as she had not conveyed this information to the police. She added that she was “very confused” when shown a police document suggesting the head injury theory was based upon her witness evidence, reaffirming: “I definitely didn’t say he had a head injury, because I know I didn’t see him hit his head.”

Further Witness Accounts

The inquest also heard from several other individuals who saw Noah during his journey across North Belfast.

Sinead Quinn told the court that she saw a young male picking up a bike at the junction of North Queen Street and Alexandra Park Avenue, though she did not see him fall. She saw his jacket still on the road and beeped her horn to alert him. She recalled that he looked “startled” but cycled on without the coat, which she found strange.

Nathan Montgomery, who was driving in North Belfast, saw a young cyclist and later observed him swaying slightly on North Queen Street. Mr Montgomery noted the cyclist “appeared unsteady” and moved out from the pavement toward the middle of the lane a couple of times. He assumed the swaying was due to a lack of cycling experience.

Beryl Smyth’s statement was read to the court, detailing that she saw a young cyclist passing her house on Northwood Crescent, adjusting the straps of his helmet. When she left her home shortly after, she saw the helmet left on the pavement beside a lamppost.

Finally, Krzysztof Kozakiewicz told the court he saw a male standing on Northwood Road with no top on. The inquest, which is focused on establishing the facts surrounding Noah’s disappearance, continues.