The inquest into the death of Noah Donohoe, a 14-year-old schoolboy who went missing in Belfast in June 2020, has officially concluded. His body was discovered in a storm drain complex six days after he was last seen cycling in the North Belfast area. The jury-led inquest examined the timeline of his disappearance and the subsequent search efforts conducted by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

The inquest findings explicitly identified failures within the police investigation. According to the report, these procedural shortcomings directly impacted the ability of investigators and the court to fully establish the circumstances surrounding how Noah died. While the inquest provided a formal conclusion to the legal proceedings, the identification of these investigative gaps has remained a focal point for the family and the public.

There is no dispute regarding the fact that the investigation was flawed; however, the scope of these failures and their specific impact on the final determination of the cause of death remains a subject of intense scrutiny. The PSNI has faced criticism for the handling of evidence and the speed of the initial search, which the inquest jury noted as contributing factors to the lack of clarity. The conclusion of the inquest marks the end of the formal legal inquiry into the case, though questions surrounding the police response continue to be raised by those seeking further accountability.