Belfast Coroner’s Court heard testimony from retired PSNI Inspector Menary on challenges during the search for Noah Donohoe. The inquest, now in its 11th week with a jury, examines the death of the 14-year-old St Malachy’s College pupil. His naked body was found in a storm drain tunnel in north Belfast on June 29, 2020, six days after he left home on his bike to meet friends in the Cavehill area. A post-mortem determined the cause of death as drowning.

Menary managed the PSNI hazardous environment search team deployed to Northwood Linear Park on June 23 to check the area around the storm drain. The team entered the culvert on June 24 morning due to limited personnel availability of two members. He spent 40 minutes inside the culvert, calling it a hostile environment.

Brenda Campbell KC, counsel for Noah’s mother Fiona Donohoe, questioned the time needed for the teenager to traverse the pitch-dark tunnel naked. Menary estimated less than an hour, depending on determination.

Crowds gathered in the park, fueled by social media conspiracy theories, with some members hostile to police. Menary noted most were well-intentioned but a disruptive element required public order units to manage. Police logs recorded hundreds present after lunch at 1pm, with shouting exchanges, before clearance at 1.20pm allowed the search to resume.

Menary confirmed insufficient police numbers in the morning prevented securing a sterile search area for the high-risk missing child. He agreed crowd control was a policing responsibility.

The inquest previously learned a CCTV camera on Northwood Road overlooked the drain entrance but police never reviewed its footage. Menary stated evidence of Noah entering the culvert would have altered the search to a rescue operation.

Menary knew by June 23 evening the culvert was tidal and flooded periodically. He informed a search adviser, but transcripts showed Sergeant Hutchings, the lead adviser, learned this on June 26 and then deployed divers. Menary expressed concern over the communication gap but doubted it would have changed the search direction.