Donohoe inquest adjourned after 25 hours of deliberations

Updated / Friday, Noah Donohoe was found dead in Belfast in 2020 Áine Ní Ghallchóir By Áine Ní Ghallchóir The jury at the inquest into the death of Noah Donohoe has been unable to reach a unanimous verdict and Belfast Coroner's Court has adjourned proceedings to a future date. The decision came at 12.45am today after the jury had deliberated for 25 hours over three days on the evidence. It emerged that some of the jurors would be unable to reconvene this morning and the Coroner decided that the inquest would be adjourned until all the jurors are available. Mr Justice Kevin Rooney said the inquest would resume when all 10 jurors are available. He paid tribute to the jury's dedication to the inquest, saying they had "run out of time" to reach a unanimous verdict, adding "that is the problem". He went on to outline that he had taken the decision to adjourn the inquest until all the jurors were available again, adding a warning to jurors that they remain in deliberations until the inquest resumes later in the year, potentially in August or September. The jury is considering the evidence into the death of the Belfast schoolboy. They have been tasked with agreeing findings on 10 questions, including the date of Noah's death and whether any errors made . The 14-year-old’s naked body was found in an underground water tunnel in north Belfast after having been missing for six days in June 2020. The inquest into his death at Belfast Coroner’s Court started in January and has heard evidence from 76 witnesses, statements from a further 42 people, and involved maps, video footage, photographs, police logs and expert reports. A post-mortem examination concluded that the cause of Noah’s death was drowning. Noah’s mother, Fiona, has been present for every day of the inquest. Addressing the jury of eight men and two women yesterday morning, Mr Justice Rooney reiterated that they must reach their findings based on the evidence they have seen and heard in court. He had reminded jurors that their findings must be unanimously agreed. More stories on News Ireland Northern Ireland Ulster