The State of Us

A special series from The State of Us podcast. In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. His disappearance and death have dominated headlines for five and a half years. The inquest into his death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. With no sign of any verdict the coroner makes a shock late night decision to adjourn the inquest until August or September.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. His disappearance and death have dominated headlines for five and a half years. The inquest into his death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. Jurors start work on answers to the inquest’s questions.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. His disappearance and death have dominated headlines for five and a half years. The inquest into his death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. The Coroner, Mr Justice Rooney, begins his summing up and explains to the jury what findings they cannot come to.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. His disappearance and death have dominated headlines for five and a half years. The inquest into his death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. The coroner, Mr Justice Rooney, finished his closing speech to the jury. The jurors will consider twelve questions, including if police made an error which contributed to the schoolboy’s death.

A special programme from The State of Us podcast. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson is a convicted paedophile and child rapist. His wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, who faced five charges including four related to aiding and abetting, is found to have done the acts. Tara Mills and Declan Harvey have been in court throughout the trial and heard every piece of evidence put to the jury. They bring you the detail of the final day in the Donaldson sex abuse trial, and reaction to the verdicts.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to all 18 charges he faces, including one count of rape. His wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, faces a trial of the facts on related charges of aiding and abetting, which she has denied. The jury considers its verdict on a combined 23 charges for a second day.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to all 18 charges he faces, including one count of rape. His wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, faces a trial of the facts on related charges of aiding and abetting, which she has denied. The jury retires to consider its verdict on a combined 23 charges.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. His disappearance and death have dominated headlines for five and a half years. The inquest into his death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. All 76 witnesses have now given their evidence to the inquest.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to all 18 charges he faces, including one count of rape. His wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, faces a trial of the facts on related charges of aiding and abetting, which she has denied. Eleanor Donaldson’s barrister has asked a jury to “bring an end to this nightmare for her and find her not guilty of all the charges she’s facing.”

A special series from The State of Us podcast. In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. His disappearance and death have dominated headlines for five and a half years. The inquest into his death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. The police officer in charge of the investigation into Noah Donohoe's death apologises for a breakdown in relations between the PSNI and Noah's family.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to all 18 charges he faces, including one count of rape. His wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, faces a trial of the facts on related charges of aiding and abetting, which she has denied. Barristers began giving closing statements today in court, as the case nears its end. WARNING : Contains distressing content Find more on this story at the BBC News NI website

A special series from The State of Us podcast. In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. His disappearance and death have dominated headlines for five and a half years. The inquest into his death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. The final witness in the Noah Donohoe inquest has taken to the stand.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to all 18 charges he faces, including one count of rape. His wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, faces a trial of the facts on related charges of aiding and abetting, which she has denied. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson's defence team closed its case today. A barrister for Lady Donaldson told the court he’d nothing further to add.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. His disappearance and death have dominated headlines for five and a half years. The inquest into his death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. The lawyers begin to tie up loose ends as the inquest enters its final stages.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to all 18 charges he faces, including one count of rape. His wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, faces a trial of the facts on related charges of aiding and abetting, which she has denied. A special series from The State of Us podcast. Prosecution barrister Rosemary Walsh KC finished her cross examination of Jeffrey Donaldson today.WARNING : Contains distressing contentFind more on this story at the BBC News NI website

A special series from The State of Us podcast. In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. His disappearance and death have dominated headlines for five and a half years. The inquest into his death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. The inquest hears about the efforts made by police to contact the author Noah had been fixated with in the days and weeks before his death.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to all 18 charges he faces, including one count of rape. His wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, faces a trial of the facts on related charges of aiding and abetting, which she has denied. The court hears Eleanor Donaldson ‘s police interview whenever she was arrested in 2024. The jury hears from Sir Jeffrey Donaldson in person as he takes to the witness stand and denies all the allegations against him. WARNING : Contains distressing content Find more on this story at the BBC News NI website

A special series from The State of Us podcast. In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. His disappearance and death have dominated headlines for five and a half years. The inquest into his death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. A police officer involved in the investigation into Noah's disappearance has been giving evidence.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. His disappearance and death have dominated headlines for five and a half years. The inquest into his death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. Four mental health experts have told the inquest they don’t believe a mental illness had a part in Noah’s death.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to all 18 charges he faces, including one count of rape. His wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, faces a trial of the facts on related charges of aiding and abetting, which she has denied. The court heard Eleanor Donaldson's police interview when she was arrested in 2024. She told police she was on ‘red alert’ for years regarding her husband.WARNING : Contains distressing content Find more on this story at the BBC News NI website

A special series from The State of Us podcast. In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. His disappearance and death have dominated headlines for five and a half years. The inquest into his death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. The court heard Noah Donohoe could have been in the early stages of a psychotic episode on the day he disappeared.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to all 18 charges he faces, including one count of rape. His wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, faces a trial of the facts on related charges of aiding and abetting, which she has denied. The trial hears the moment police put the rape allegation to Sir Jeffrey Donaldson during interview. WARNING : Contains distressing content Find more on this story at the BBC News NI website

A special series from The State of Us podcast. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to all 18 charges he faces, including one count of rape. His wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, faces a trial of the facts on related charges of aiding and abetting, which she has denied. Five witnesses gave evidence in Newry Crown Court today. WARNING : Contains distressing content Find more on this story at the BBC News NI website

A special series from The State of Us podcast. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to all 18 charges he faces, including one count of rape. His wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, faces a trial of the facts on related charges of aiding and abetting, which she has denied. The court hears Jeffrey Donaldson sent a message to a Church minister saying he wanted to repent. WARNING : Contains distressing content Find more on this story at the BBC News NI website

A special series from The State of Us podcast. In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. His disappearance and death have dominated headlines for five and a half years. The inquest into his death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. A former detective whose job it was to check all of Noah’s digital devices doesn’t remember seeing the last photograph taken on his phone.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. His disappearance and death have dominated headlines for five and a half years. The inquest into his death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. Noah’s mum wept and left the court as footage was shown in court of his final journey cycling through Belfast on the day he disappeared.

LONG: A special series from The State of Us podcast. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to all 18 charges he faces, including one count of rape. His wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, faces a trial of the facts on related charges of aiding and abetting, which she has denied. Complainant B continued giving evidence and told the court she feels she should have gone to police with her allegations against Sir Jeffrey Donaldson years before she did. WARNING : Contains distressing content Find more on this story at the BBC News NI website

A special series from The State of Us podcast. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to all 18 charges he faces, including one count of rape. His wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, faces a trial of the facts on related charges of aiding and abetting, which she has denied. One of the two women accusing Sir Jeffrey Donaldson of sexual assault told Newry Crown Court he raped her when she was of primary school age. WARNING : Contains explicit detail that some listeners may find distressing. Find more on this story at the BBC News NI website

A special series from The State of Us podcast. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to all 18 charges he faces, including one count of rape. His wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, faces a trial of the facts on related charges of aiding and abetting, which she has denied. One of the two women accusing Sir Jeffrey Donaldson of child abuse was challenged by Eleanor Donaldson’s defence team, saying she was making up the incidents – or had dreamt them.WARNING : Contains distressing contentFind more on this story at the BBC News NI website.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. His disappearance and death have dominated headlines for five and a half years. The inquest into his death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. A key Department for Infrastructure witness was challenged by the Donohoe family’s barrister.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to all 18 charges he faces, including one count of rape. His wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, faces a trial of the facts on related charges of aiding and abetting, which she has denied. The jury hears claims that she witnessed her husband’s alleged abuse but did nothing to stop it. WARNING: Contains distressing content Find more on this story at bbc.co.uk/news/northern Ireland or the BBC News NI website

A special series from The State of Us podcast. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to all 18 charges he faces, including one count of rape. His wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, faces a trial of the facts on related charges of aiding and abetting, which she has denied. The trial is told Sir Jeffrey Donaldson wrote a letter to one of the two alleged victims expressing ‘regret’. WARNING: Contains distressing content For more on this story go to the BBC News NI website.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. His disappearance and death have dominated headlines for five and a half years. The inquest into his death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. An expert employed by the Department for Infrastructure tells the inquest he wouldn’t go as far as saying the tunnel where Noah died was ‘seriously dangerous’.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. Jeffrey Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to all 18 charges he faces, including one count of rape. His wife, Eleanor Donaldson, faces a trial of the facts on related charges of aiding and abetting, which she has denied. Today the Prosecution set out their case. WARNING : Contains distressing content – For more on this story check out bbc.co.uk/news/northern Ireland or the BBC News NI website

A special series from The State of Us podcast. In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. His disappearance and death have dominated headlines for five and a half years. The inquest into his death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. A detective who stayed on Noah Donohoe’s case for a few years said he wasn’t aware of a number of pieces of evidence.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. His disappearance and death have dominated headlines for five and a half years. The inquest into his death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. A police search advisor who co-ordinated the search for Noah on the nights after he went missing wasn’t asked about his role in the search until last month.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. A jury has been sworn in for the trial of Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and Lady Eleanor Donaldson. Jeffrey Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to all 18 charges he faces, including one count of rape. His wife, Eleanor Donaldson, faces a trial of the facts on related charges of aiding and abetting, which she has denied. Solicitor Sarah McKeown tells us about how a jury is put together. For more on this story, visit the BBC News NI website.Subscribe now on BBC Sounds.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and his wife Lady Eleanor Donaldson have pleaded not guilty to a combined 23 sex abuse charges. Lady Donaldson has been declared unfit to stand criminal trial on mental health grounds. Instead she will face a trial of facts, in which a jury cannot find the person guilty but can decide if they committed the alleged offences. Solicitor Sarah McKeown talks us through how the court came to that decision and how the process will work. For more on the upcoming trial: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp8p274vmp4o

A special series from The State of Us podcast. In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. His disappearance and death have dominated headlines for five and a half years. The inquest into his death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. The jury is shown new CCTV footage of Noah in the streets around his house on the night before he disappeared.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. His disappearance and death have dominated headlines for five and a half years. The inquest into his death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. An expert theory on the time Noah died was challenged today.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. His disappearance and death have dominated headlines for five and a half years. The inquest into his death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. Whether the public could easily access the storm drain area was debated in evidence today.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. His disappearance and death have dominated headlines for five and a half years. The inquest into his death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. The court was silent as bodycam footage taken by the police officer who found Noah's body was shown to the jury. The officer also described what he thought were finger marks inside the tunnel.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. His disappearance and death have dominated headlines for five and a half years. The inquest into his death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. A mystery call was made to Noah’s phone from his own number on the night before he went missing. A digital forensics expert told the inquest he couldn’t explain it.Guidance: References in this episode to the ‘Holiday Inn Express’ relate solely to a mobile phone cell mast which is on top of the hotel. There is no suggestion that a call was made from within the hotel. This episode has been edited for accuracy.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. His disappearance and death have dominated headlines for five and a half years. The inquest into his death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. A witness who said he phoned police after seeing Noah on the night he disappeared came back to give evidence. He said he was sick of being harassed by the legal teams.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. His disappearance and death have dominated headlines for five and a half years. The inquest into his death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. A Department for Infrastructure official explains why he crawled through the storm drain in preparation for the inquest.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. His disappearance and death have dominated headlines for five and a half years. The inquest into his death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. An expert says the steep gradient of part of the storm drain added to its danger.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. His disappearance and death have dominated headlines for five and a half years. The inquest into his death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. WhatsApp messages between Department of Infrastructure staff in the wake of Noah’s death were shared with the jury today.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. His disappearance and death have dominated headlines for five and a half years. The inquest into his death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. The bars on the storm drain that Noah entered are now closer together. But the most senior government official to speak at the inquest says that change wasn’t in response to his death.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. His disappearance and death have dominated headlines for five and a half years. The inquest into his death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. The jury hears of the tragic death of a man trapped in a culvert during flooding in Yorkshire in 2007. A warning some of the details may be upsetting.

A special series from The State of Us podcast. In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. His disappearance and death have dominated headlines for five and a half years. The inquest into his death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. Evidence was delayed today while lawyers dealt with a sensitive matter away from the jury.