The coroner presiding over the inquest into the death of Belfast teenager Noah Donohoe has instructed the jury to exclude six potential findings from their verdict.

Mr Justice Rooney began his summing-up on Thursday, telling the panel of eight men and two women that there was no evidence to support conclusions that the 14-year-old was under the influence of drugs, had been assaulted, or that any third party was involved in his disappearance and death. Other excluded findings were that he suffered a psychotic episode, was the victim of child exploitation, or died by suicide.

The coroner said there was also insufficient evidence to support a finding of an acute mental health episode. He noted expert testimony that drugs could degrade in a body not recovered for several days, but described this as insufficient to conclude any were present in Noah’s system.

Regarding a possible assault, Mr Justice Rooney specifically addressed Daryl Paul, the man jailed for stealing Noah’s laptop. The coroner stressed that CCTV evidence showed Paul could not have interacted with Noah during the 25-minute period between the teenager leaving his south Belfast home and his disappearance at Northwood Road in the north of the city.

The inquest has been examining the events surrounding Noah Donohoe’s disappearance and death since late January. Over 62 days of evidence spread across five months, the jury heard testimony from 76 witnesses, while a further 42 witness statements were read into the record.

The coroner also reminded the jury that their verdict must be based solely on the evidence heard in court. He instructed them to disregard any rumours, speculation or theories they may have encountered elsewhere, and that their answers to the questions posed must be unanimous. He stressed they cannot apportion blame to any individual.

Noah Donohoe went missing on 21 June 2020 after cycling from his home off the Lower Ormeau Road. He was last seen on CCTV naked on a footpath near Northwood Road, close to a waste ground with a culvert entrance to an underground water system. His body was found six days later more than 600 metres downstream in the tunnel network.

Most of his belongings and clothing were recovered, but certain items remain unaccounted for. The coroner noted that the teenager’s shorts, boxers and coat have been missing since his disappearance.

The summing-up was adjourned and will resume on Monday 29 June, after which the jury will retire to consider its verdict.