Inquest finds Stormont's Department for Infrastructure "erred" in its maintenance of a tunnel entrance close to where Noah Donohoe was last seen alive
The jury also finds that neither the department nor the police contributed in any way to the schoolboy's death
But they listed 13 failings by the Police Service of Northern Ireland during the investigation
The 14-year-old went missing after leaving his south Belfast home in June 2020, sparking extensive searches across the city
His body was found nearly a week later in a tunnel system in north Belfast
A post-mortem examination concluded the cause of Noah's death was drowning
The jury reached a unanimous conclusion after five days of deliberations. They had 10 questions to answer
Two questions were about when and where Noah died - they say it was between 19:00 and midnight on Sunday 21 June 2020, and in the lower reaches of the culvert or underground tunnel
Gráinne Connolly
BBC News NI
Question nine was also split into two parts.
It asked if it was probable or possible that any error of the Police Service for Northern Ireland in its response to the report that Noah was missing more than minimally, negligibly or trivially contributed to his death.
The jury answered no to both parts, with their reasoning being the time of Noah's death.
Gráinne Connolly
BBC News NI
Question eight asked about the Department for Infrastructure's management of the culvert and it was split into two parts.
In question eight 8A, the jury was asked if it was probable that any error of the Department for Infrastructure in its management of access to the culvert more than minimally, negligibly or trivially contributed to Noah's death.
They said no.
In question 8B, the jury was asked if it was possible that any error of the Department for Infrastructure in its management of access to the culvert more than minimally, negligibly or trivially contributed to his death.
The jury said yes.
They said the department erred in the management of the culvert and by not identifying the area around the entrance as a location the public could possibly access. There were no warnings around the entrance.
Gráinne Connolly
BBC News NI
In question six the jury was asked to determine the time and date of Noah's death. They were allowed to give a time range.
They said he died between 19:00 and midnight on Sunday 21 June 2020.
In question seven they were asked where he died.
They found it happened in the lower reaches of the Premier Drive culvert.
Gráinne Connolly
BBC News NI
Question five asked the jury to explain why Noah behaved the way he did after he left his house on 21 June.
There were a number of things which the coroner told them they were not able to include in their findings.
These were: That he was under the influence of drugs, that he was assaulted by anyone after he left his house, that a third party was responsible for his death, that he was going through a psychotic episode, that he was a victim of child exploitation or that he took his own life.
The jury ultimately said the evidence was insufficient to reach a conclusion.
Gráinne Connolly
BBC News NI
Question three asked the jury what the medical cause of Noah's death was.
They found that he had drowned.
Question four asked what Noah did after he left his house.
The jury found that after Noah left his home on his bike on Sunday 21 June 2020 he cycled on University Street and along the Ormeau Road before travelling through the city at a normal pace for a 14-year-old boy.
During this he became separated from his backpack.
From Cityside he travelled along North Queen Street past Castleton Park where his phone was later found.
He then fell from his bike and while he continued along his journey he lost his green coat.
Noah then went onto Northwood Crescent where he removed his black helmet, and then onto Northwood Road where he removed his clothing.
From there, the jury found, Noah entered the culvert from the rear.
Gráinne Connolly
BBC News NI
Question two asked the jury to summarise the scenario in which Noah's death occurred.
The jury said Noah left his home at about 17:40 BST on 21 June 2020 on his bike with his backpack containing his laptop, schoolbook and the Jordan Peterson book 12 Rules for Life.
After not contacting home he was reported missing by his mum at about 21:45 on 21 June 2020 and was identified as a high-risk missing person on 22 June.
A large scale search operation began and involving the PSNI and public.
His bike and clothing were then found outside Northwood Road in the city.
Enquirires identified CCTV showing his journey from the Ormeau Road, through the city centre and then to Northwood Road where he was seen discarding his bike.
Eye witnesses saw him falling off his bike on York Road/Queen street and his phone was found by a member of the public.
Police also recovered his backpack, which he became separated from on the junction of York Street and Cityside.
Some of his items such as his green coat have never been recovered.
Noah was found in a tunnel at 10:40 on 27 June, where he was declared dead.
Further enquiries identified footage of Noah leaving his home 03:34 and returning at 04:08 on Sunday 21 June 2020.
As we reported below, the jury had to answer 10 questions in coming to their findings.
The first of those questions was a formality - stating what Noah's full name was.
We'll now run through their answers to the other nine questions.
Kevin Sharkey
BBC News NI
The coroner has started delivering the verdict.
He says the jury found Stormont's Department for Infrastructure (DfI) "erred" in its maintenance of a culvert entrance close to where Noah Donohoe was last seen alive.
The jury found that the DfI failed to identify a hazard at the site and there was no warning sign.
The jury also found that neither the DfI nor PSNI contributed in any way to the schoolboy's death.
However, as well as the finding against the DfI, the jury listed 13 failings by the PSNI during the police investigation.
The nine jury members, who had 10 questions to answer, returned their verdict today at the end of an inquest which began in January.
As we reported earlier, we have been told the jury has reached unanimous findings.
The coroner is now considering those findings before he enters the court to deliver the verdict.
We are not sure how much longer that will take, but we will keep you updated as soon as the coroner returns.
Noah’s body was found more than 600m inside an underground tunnel known as a culvert - a structure designed to carry water beneath roads, railways or embankments.
The culvert, beside the M2, near Crusaders Football Club and a Northern Ireland Railways depot - became a major focus of the inquest.
Jurors visited the site and heard evidence from residents, search and rescue workers, police, Department for Infrastructure officials and experts about the tunnel and the surrounding area.
A significant part of the inquest centred on whether there were safety issues at the entrance, including the type of screen covering it.
The jury heard evidence about whether Noah could have entered through gaps in the debris screen and whether a more secure barrier should have been in place.
The jury heard evidence from 76 witnesses who took the stand in court or by video link, while a further 42 witness statements were read out in court.
There were 62 days of evidence across a five-month period, beginning at the end of January.
A range of people gave statements including:
Noah had been missing for almost a week when he was found dead in a culvert - a type of storm drain - in north Belfast at the end of June 2020.
Here's what we know about that week:
Image source, PA MediaA pupil at St Malachy's College, Noah Donohoe lived in Fitzroy Avenue, close to the Ormeau Road in south Belfast, with his mum Fiona.
A keen rugby and basketball player, he was also learning how to play guitar.
People who knew him described him as funny, intelligent and caring.
Noah was 14 when he went missing in June 2020, he was found dead almost a week later in north Belfast.
An inquest is an inquiry into the circumstances of a person's death.
It is not a trial - the coroner will not apportion guilt or attribute blame - but instead they have looked at circumstances of Noah's death, focusing on how, when and where he died.
In the six years since his death, there has been a lot of speculation about what may have happened and this is the question that the inquest is hoping to answer.
Image source, PA MediaIt has been held with a jury at Belfast Coroners' Court. This is not always the case for inquests, but Noah's mum applied for this during pre-inquest proceedings.
It began on 19 January and had been expected to take about 10 weeks, but has instead lasted almost six months.
In that time we have heard from police officers, volunteers, experts, school friends, and family members.
Welcome to live coverage of the conclusion of the Noah Donohoe inquest.
The jury has reached unanimous findings and the coroner, Mr Justice Rooney, is now considering those findings before the verdict is delivered to the court.
The breakthrough came on the fifth day of jury deliberations.The initial phase of deliberations was adjourned at the beginning of July to facilitate summer holidays.
Seven men and two women resumed the deliberations on Monday, after one member of the jury was discharged by the coroner.
The inquest has been examining the circumstances of Noah's death after he disappeared and died in north Belfast in June 2020.
His body was found in an underground water tunnel close to the M2 motorway six days after he went missing.
