Witness is 'sick of being harassed' at Noah Donohoe inquest

A witness has told the Noah Donohoe inquest that he is sick of being harassed at the inquest.

Connor McConnell was reacting to questioning about previous information he provided to the inquest into the death of the 14-year-old, whose body was found in an underground water tunnel six days after he disappeared in north Belfast.

During his first appearance in February, McConnell told the inquest that he was at his mother's house at Northwood Road in June 2020 when he observed the schoolboy cycling naked along the street on the day of his disappearance.

McConnell also said he contacted the police that night after seeing a Facebook post from a "colleague" with a photograph of Noah.

However, it was explained to the witness in February that the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) had not published details about Noah's disappearance until the early hours of the following morning.

The witness was then asked to write down the name of the "colleague" on note paper and hand it to the coroner.

McConnell's appearance on Wednesday followed further inquiries into the matter by the coroner's office.

The inquest was told that the person whose name was provided by McConnell made a statement to the inquest saying she never made any Facebook posting about the disappearance of Noah Donohoe.

She said she knew McConnell from school and last spoke to him a year before Noah's disappearance.

McConnell said he meant to write down the name of a friend with a similar name.

"I apologise," he said.

He said he had written down "the incorrect surname".

He was then given a note paper to write down the correct name.

Referring to his mistake at the previous appearance, McConnell addressed the coroner Mr Justice Rooney, saying: "I was on the stand all day, it was quite a stressful day, your honour".

McConnell was asked to reassure the inquest that the name he provided to the coroner on Wednesday was the correct name and spelling.

The inquest is now expected to make further inquiries about the matter based on the new name submitted to the coroner by McConnell.

The witness was also questioned about his original claim that he contacted the police on the night of Noah's disappearance.

The inquest received a statement from one of his friends who stated that they both exchanged messages about the case at the time, and McConnell said during their messaging that he contacted the police on the night after Noah's disappearance.

McConnell had claimed at the inquest that he contacted the police on the night of the boy's disappearance.

A barrister for the coroner told McConnell that he could be liable for his evidence to the inquest.

The witness responded: "I'm sick of being harassed by you people."

"I want the truth; I want to help the family."

He then told the coroner "I'm only human" and added that he is not saying he is "absolutely right".

McConnell also criticised the absence of phone records from the time saying that "seems like a concise way" to inquire into his evidence.

The hearing was told the phone company does not retain records going back to the relevant date.

McConnell also took issue with the line of questioning from the coroner's barrister, saying he felt like "my opinion is not in line with what you want to hear".

The coroner reassured the witness that he appreciated his involvement at the inquest.

Mr Justice Rooney also said he accepts that the witness may have made a mistake.

The inquest has also heard that it could not have been foreseen that "a trespasser" would enter land linked to the schoolboy's death.

The inquest has been exploring the possibility that the 14-year-old entered a structure leading to an underground drainage system after he disappeared.

The boy's body was found more than 600 metres downstream.

Noah was last seen running between houses at Northwood Road in the direction of private back gardens.

The back gardens adjoin land on which the concrete and steel entrance to the underground drainage system is located.

The Department for Infrastructure has faced criticism at the inquest about the safety measures it had in place around the structure.

One expert on health and safety, Dr Mark Cooper, previously told the hearing that he believed fencing or other "reasonably practicable" safety measures could have been put in place as a deterrent to unauthorised access from the Northwood Road direction.

Giving evidence at the inquest on Wednesday, during his fourth day of evidence, Jonathan McKee from the Department for Infrastructure explained that the department does not own the land on which the culvert structure is built.

McKee explained that the department gains access rights to the site under powers granted for the purpose of drainage works.

He said the suggestion of additional fencing on the land was therefore not "reasonably practicable" because homeowners at Northwood Road are regarded as the 'riparian owners' of the land.

This means they have rights and access to the land behind their homes where the watercourse runs.

A barrister for the Department for Infrastructure asked the witness if it could have been foreseen that "a trespasser" could get onto that land.

McKee said it could not have been anticipated because the land is surrounded on different sides by a combination of high fencing, hedging and four local properties at Northwood Road.

One theory being explored at the inquest is that Noah may have entered private back gardens to gain entry to the adjoining 'riparian owner' land where the entrance to the underground drainage system is located.