BELFAST schoolboy Noah Donohoe was seen falling off his bike on the day he disappeared, an inquest into his death has heard.
The body of Noah (14) was discovered in a storm drain in North Belfast on June 27, 2020, six days after the St Malachy’s College student went missing as he cycled to meet friends.
On the third day of evidence on Tuesday, a compilation of CCTV footage from June 21, 2020, was played for the jury.
The inquest then heard from an eyewitness who had been travelling from York Road onto North Queen Street on the evening Noah went missing.
Donna Blain said she saw Noah who appeared to have fallen from his bike and was lifting it back off the ground. She said he looked "embarrassed" but stated that she did not notice if he had sustained any injuries.
Ms Blain later phoned police about her sighting of Noah when his disappearance was made public.
Earlier, the inquest heard from Noah’s friend Charlie Rocks who detailed his interaction with Noah in the week before his disappearance.
He told the hearing that he and Noah were in the same classes and he was his “closest friend”.
He told the court that Noah never mentioned anything about storm drains, going underground or being in tunnels.
On June 5, 2020, Charlie stated that Noah messaged him saying he was “feeling a bit blue”.
He said he was “not aware of anything that had happened to upset Noah but after they talked "he seemed OK after that."
The court was also shown an exchange between Charlie and Noah in relation to the work of Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson, whose book '12 Rules for Life' that Noah was reading.
The inquest continues.
