Northern Ireland

Noah may have been threatened or injected with heroin needle, says mother

Noah Donohoe's remains were found in a storm drain in north Belfast on June 27, 2020, six days after he had been reported missing
Noah Donohoe's remains were found in a storm drain in north Belfast on June 27, 2020, six days after he had been reported missing Noah Donohoe's remains were found in a storm drain in north Belfast on June 27, 2020, six days after he had been reported missing

THE mother of Belfast schoolboy Noah Donohoe is to lodge a complaint with the Police Ombudsman over the police handling of the search for her son.

The development came as Ms Donohoe said she feared Noah may have been injected with, or threatened with a heroin needle, on the day he went missing.

The St Malachy's College pupil disappeared after leaving his home in the Ormeau Road area on Sunday, June 21 last year on his bike.

He was making his way to Cavehill Country Park to meet friends but never arrived.

CCTV recorded the teenager on his bike, wearing a helmet, in the Northwood Road area between 6.03pm and 6.11pm.

Noah was reportedly seen cycling naked and police had initially said he may have fallen from his bike and possibly sustained a head injury causing him to behave out of character.

Hundreds of people later took to the streets to help search for the missing teenager.

Read More: Eight months after tragic death of Noah Donohoe, questions remain unanswered

After days of searches on June 27, Noah's body was found in a storm drain in north Belfast.

Fiona Donohoe is campaigning for answers about what happened her son, Noah, who's body was found in a storm drain in north Belfast on June 27, 2020, six days after he had been reported missing. Picture by Hugh Russell
Fiona Donohoe is campaigning for answers about what happened her son, Noah, who's body was found in a storm drain in north Belfast on June 27, 2020, six days after he had been reported missing. Picture by Hugh Russell Fiona Donohoe is campaigning for answers about what happened her son, Noah, who's body was found in a storm drain in north Belfast on June 27, 2020, six days after he had been reported missing. Picture by Hugh Russell

A post mortem examination found he had drowned.

In separate newspaper interviews yesterday Ms Donohoe made claims she believes need further investigation.

She insisted that her son did have a head injury as when she went to identify his remains and recalled a bump measuring 16cm in diameter visible across his forehead.

Speaking to the Sunday Independent, she said: "Before I saw his body, I was told he had a minor injury to his head. I am his mother and it didn't look minor to me.

"He was wearing a helmet that covered his forehead, so where did he get that bump from?"

Ms Donohoe also revealed she has requested a meeting with Taoiseach Micheal Martin about the case and is to lodge a complaint about the PSNI's handling of it with the Police Ombudsman.

"There is no point sugar-coating this - the police response was flawed," she said.

In a separate interview with the Sunday World Ms Donohoe claimed her son may have been threatened with or injected with a heroin needle the day he disappeared.

She said she had been told there are "suspects in an assault" on her son.

"A person who knew about an extremely vital part of Noah's journey came forward in November.

"She did implicate people, she did state that she was aware of an assault and an incident with Noah," she said.

"She said it was talked about in circles that she was part of too. She named four men, four career criminals known to police.

"They said about an injection... that he could have possibly been injected with heroin or threatened with a heroin needle.

"She said these people have taken opportunities like this before and that they are known for it."

Ms Donohoe said she would be putting in a complaint to the Police Ombudsman "as soon as possible"

"We will be putting down every single tiny detail because those tiny details have added up to a complete mess of an investigation," she said.

A PSNI spokeswoman said: "The disappearance and death of Noah Donohoe remains a coronial investigation. As such, any inquiries regarding that investigation should be directed to the coroner's office."