PSNI launch corporate manslaughter probe into Noah Donohoe drain

The 14-year-old’s body was recovered from a storm drain close to the M2 motorway in June, six days after he went missing.

Detectives are investigating access to the drain network.

A Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) statement said: “Police can confirm this is a corporate manslaughter investigation.”

Detectives have been investigating the circumstances of the death.

Investigation material has been gathered and police are working with the Health and Safety Executive and Public Prosecution Service.

The PSNI said last year they believed Noah entered the drain in the Northwood Road area of north Belfast.

It is owned by the Department for Infrastructure.

The schoolboy had cycled from his home in south Belfast.

His disappearance prompted a major search operation, with hundreds of people from across Belfast involved.

KRW Law, which represents Noah’s mother Fiona Donohoe, said: “This corporate manslaughter investigation will enquire into risk assessments of the storm drain at Premier Drive / culvert network and reporting structures within DfI/Rivers Agency.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Infrastructure said: “The Department can confirm that there is no case against them.

“DfI have been advised that an investigation in the offence of corporate manslaughter has been launched and the department is cooperating fully with all aspects of this investigation.

“No further comment can be made while these investigations are continuing.”

On July 7 last year the News Letter reported that Sinn Fein and Department of Infrastructure were facing questions about whether they could have taken steps to lock a north Belfast storm drain before Noah Donohoe was found in it.

Noah Donohoe, 14, was found in the storm drain six days after going missing.

Noah went missing on June 21 last year. Police later tracked him by CCTV cycling across the city, reporting that he appeared to have fallen and hurt his head and become disorientated. He was found six days later in the north Belfast storm drain. Police do not suspect foul play.

Sinn Fein had written to the Department of Infrastructure (DfI) in late May about the culvert where the storm drain was located. DfI staff inspected it in early June and wrote back that they could see no sign of erosion, proposing no further action.

The News Letter put it to Sinn Fein and DfI that they had both been reviewing the site before Noah went missing; that it is a walk-in drain that children played in; that gaps between bars over the drain are too large to stop children gaining access and that there was no padlock on the gate when Noah reportedly entered the drain.

The News Letter asked Sinn Fein what steps it took to secure the drain after raising the location with DfI.

The party responded that it wrote to DfI in May “raising concerns by Northwood residents on erosion and property damage from the Premier Drive Stream which is an open section of stream”.

It added that it is “the responsibility of the DfI to ensure that the relevant measures are in place to secure open streams and culverts under their control”.

Asked how it was addressing the situation, DfI responded that it “carries out weekly inspections of all storm drains to ensure they are fit for purpose and secure. When the department receives a complaint or a concern an additional site inspection is carried out. Any works that are required are then carried out.”

Asked why its inspection did not recognise the danger from the unlocked gate, DfI responded that it could not comment due to the ongoing police investigation.

DUP MLA William Humphrey said he was writing to DfI Minister Nichola Mallon as residents are “very keen to secure the site so there can be no repetition”.

He expressed concern that the gate was not padlocked before the tragedy occurred.

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