The inquest into the death of 14-year-old Noah Donohoe has highlighted a pivotal piece of evidence from the early hours of June 21, 2020: CCTV footage capturing the schoolboy leaving and briefly returning home around 3:30 a.m., an encounter or sequence that police and investigators view as potentially central to understanding the chain of events leading to his tragic drowning later that day.

Noah, a student at St Malachy’s College in Belfast, disappeared on the morning of June 21, 2020, after cycling from his home in south Belfast to meet friends near Cavehill in the north of the city. His naked body was recovered six days later from a storm drain tunnel in the north Belfast area, sparking intense public scrutiny, conspiracy theories, and ongoing questions about what prompted his erratic behavior—including stripping off his clothes in public and entering the confined drainage system.

Recent sessions of the inquest, which resumed in early 2026 after years of delays and advocacy from his family, have delved deeply into CCTV material from the Fitzroy Avenue area where Noah lived. Footage shown to the coroner’s court reveals that Noah quietly left his home around 3:34 a.m., dressed in flip-flops, a T-shirt, and shorts, carrying headphones. He cycled away briefly but returned approximately 35 minutes later, around 4:08 a.m., now barefoot, without the headphones, and appearing soaked or wet in some accounts. This secretive early-morning excursion—unknown to his family at the time—was only uncovered later through CCTV obtained during the investigation.

Investigators and the inquest have treated this pre-dawn activity as a potential turning point. Police believe the events captured around this 3 a.m. timeframe may hold the key to explaining the subsequent bizarre actions Noah displayed hours later. After returning home, Noah reportedly behaved unusually before leaving again later that morning for his planned bike ride. CCTV from later in the day tracks his journey northward, showing him cycling erratically, falling from his bike at points, and eventually removing his clothing in public before disappearing into wasteland near the storm drain entrance.

Witness testimony and police evidence presented at the inquest suggest that whatever occurred during or immediately after this early outing could have triggered disorientation, distress, or a medical/psychological episode that escalated throughout the day. Some accounts from residents in the north Belfast area near where Noah was last seen alive describe hearing disturbing sounds around 3 a.m.—including a high-pitched scream from one location and two screams accompanied by a “white light” or flash from another street. Additionally, one resident reported someone attempting to open her back door handle around 3 a.m., raising questions about whether Noah, in a confused state, wandered into nearby properties or sought help unsuccessfully.

The inquest has not identified any direct third-party involvement or foul play based on forensic evidence. Pathologists, including Dr. Marjorie Turner who performed the post-mortem, along with independent experts Professor Jack Crane and Dr. Nathaniel Cary, have consistently stated that the cause of death was drowning, with Noah likely alive when he entered the water. There were no signs of significant trauma, assault, or brain injury beyond minor bruising consistent with navigating a dark, confined space. Toxicology results were negative for drugs, further ruling out substance-induced behavior as the primary driver.

Yet the absence of clear external causes has intensified focus on the timeline around 3 a.m. Police initially treated Noah’s disappearance as a possible voluntary missing person case, but the unusual early-morning CCTV shifted perspectives. Detectives gathered extensive footage from homes and businesses along his route, though some early oversights—such as missing certain cameras—were acknowledged during the inquest. The barrister representing Noah’s mother, Fiona Donohoe, has pressed witnesses on these details, emphasizing inconsistencies in timelines, potential missed opportunities in the search, and how the pre-dawn events might connect to his later disrobing and entry into the drain.

One notable element involves a man captured on CCTV standing near Queen’s Quarter housing on University Street as Noah cycled past shortly after leaving home later that day. This individual was later linked to possessing Noah’s laptop (or rucksack items), but evidence indicated no direct interaction, and he was not presented as a suspect in violence or abduction. The emphasis remains on Noah’s solitary actions, with the early CCTV outing seen as more explanatory of his state of mind.

Experts at the inquest have described the entire case as “extraordinary” due to the puzzling sequence: a seemingly normal teenager exhibiting increasingly strange behavior without an obvious trigger. Theories explored include an undiagnosed neurological event, extreme panic, or environmental factors, but the 3 a.m. window stands out as the potential catalyst. Noah’s phone last pinged in the area near his final sighting, and his body was located over 600 meters downstream in the culvert system, suggesting he entered soon after vanishing from view.

The inquest continues to examine these elements, including police handling of the initial search, evidence collection, and community response. Fiona Donohoe and her legal team have been vocal in pushing for full transparency, questioning why certain footage or leads were not prioritized sooner. Public interest remains high, with the case highlighting challenges in missing persons investigations, especially when behavior defies typical patterns.

As testimony unfolds, the hope is that piecing together the early-morning CCTV and associated witness accounts will provide clearer insight into why Noah’s day unfolded so tragically. The footage from around 3 a.m. on June 21, 2020, represents not just the start of his final journey but possibly the critical moment that set everything in motion—offering a potential key to resolving one of Northern Ireland’s most haunting unsolved mysteries surrounding a young life cut short.