Eels, bobsleds and the Egyptians: The jury room chaos that threatened to derail the Noah Donohoe inquest
Reporting restrictions have been lifted for the inquest into the 2020 death of 14-year-old Noah Donohoe. These legal limits were originally used to ensure fair proceedings and prevent juries from being influenced. One juror nearly derailed the process by introducing strange theories during deliberations. This juror believed the deceased was trying to communicate subliminally with him. He also suggested the body could have been moved down a culvert using methods similar to how ancient Egyptians built pyramids.
Reporting restrictions in the Noah Donohoe Inquest have been lifted. Courts use reporting restrictions to limit press coverage of legal proceedings to ensure the proceedings are fair, and that juries are not adversely influenced. A number of such restrictions were used during the inquest into the 14-year-old’s 2020 death, however they can now be reported.One jury almost derailed the inquest with bizarre theories. Juror A believed Noah was trying to “subliminally” communicate with him on the day of their deliberations. He also put forward a theory that Noah could have been “shunted” down the culvert in the same manner the ancient Egyptians moved materials to build the pyramids. He also suggested Noah had been influenced by the bobsled competition at the Tokyo Olympics – which took place a year later in 2021 – and tried to mimic the actions in the culvert.The coroner also blocked disclosure of mental health consultation with Noah Donohoe’s mother Fiona on privacy grounds. Today's Indo Daily is brought to you by our sister podcast The BelTel as Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Liam Tunney, who covered the inquest for the Belfast Telegraph.