One photograph has become the single most debated piece of evidence in the five-year mystery surrounding the death of 14-year-old Belfast schoolboy Noah Donohoe. His mother, Fiona Donohoe, has publicly insisted the image shows Noah’s mobile phone was still active—or at least in someone else’s possession—after the last confirmed sighting of her son alive on the evening of June 25, 2020. The photograph, which Fiona has described in media interviews and submitted to police and the ongoing inquest, allegedly contains metadata, location data or a visual timestamp placing the device somewhere Noah could not possibly have reached given his physical state and the timeline of his disappearance.
Noah was last captured on CCTV cycling through north Belfast streets. The final haunting clip shows him riding completely naked—an action his mother, friends and every witness described as utterly out of character. Six days later, on July 1, 2020, his body was recovered from inside a storm drain in the Duncairn Gardens area of north Belfast. The grim discovery immediately raised questions about how Noah entered the drain, whether he was alone in his final moments, and why extensive searches in the preceding days had failed to locate him.
According to Fiona Donohoe, the photograph in question displays information linked to Noah’s phone that indicates activity or a location ping after he is believed to have entered the storm drain. She has claimed the image proves the device was either used or carried by another person—someone who may have had contact with Noah shortly before or after his death, or who came into possession of the phone afterward. Fiona has argued this single piece of visual evidence contradicts the narrative that Noah acted entirely alone and suggests possible third-party involvement, whether foul play or some other unreported encounter. While the full photograph has never been released publicly due to the sensitivity of the ongoing inquest and police investigation, Fiona has referenced its existence repeatedly, describing it as a critical element that has not been adequately explained or pursued by authorities.
The inquest at Laganside Courthouse has examined telecommunications data alongside CCTV footage, witness statements, forensic reports and other evidence. Phone records confirm Noah’s device was active for a period after he left home on his bicycle but eventually went silent. Fiona has maintained that certain data points—possibly visualised or captured in the photograph—show the phone registering in a location or following a path inconsistent with Noah’s known movements and physical condition at the time. She has questioned why this apparent anomaly was not more thoroughly investigated and whether full forensic analysis of the phone’s metadata, cell-site information and any associated imagery was properly conducted to rule out or confirm the presence of another individual.
Friends who gave evidence described Noah as an exceptionally bright, sociable and optimistic teenager with no obvious signs of serious mental health distress. Charlie Rocks, his closest friend, called him “the nicest, friendliest, funniest person” and said Noah was genuinely excited about life returning to normal after lockdown. No testimony indicated any fascination with storm drains, tunnels, underground exploration or anything that might explain his final location. Yet the photograph Fiona holds as proof continues to fuel speculation that Noah did not spend his last moments entirely alone.
The broader timeline has been heavily scrutinised. Noah left his apartment on Fitzroy Avenue that evening wearing a cycling helmet and carrying a backpack. CCTV shows him cycling through the city centre and heading north. Motorist Donna Blain reported seeing him fall from his bike on North Queen Street; he appeared embarrassed, looked around, lifted the bike, left his coat on the ground and rode on. The last confirmed sighting shows him pedalling naked—an act that remains unexplained. Fiona has pointed to the photograph as potential evidence that the phone continued to move or register activity after that point, raising the possibility that someone else took possession of it.
Police and the coroner have maintained that all available evidence—including telecommunications data—has been examined. No public finding from the photograph has conclusively proven third-party involvement. Metadata analysis, cell-site logs and device records have been reviewed, but no definitive conclusion has been released confirming another person handled the phone after Noah’s last sighting. The coroner has continued to appeal for any additional information that could clarify the timeline, particularly around the phone’s movements and Noah’s final location.
The case has gripped Northern Ireland since 2020. Large-scale searches followed Noah’s disappearance, followed by public protests in 2022 and 2025 demanding full transparency. Fiona Donohoe founded The Noah Donohoe Foundation to honour her son and campaign for better mental health support for young people and stronger child protection measures. The photograph she regards as crucial evidence has become symbolic for supporters who believe the official account leaves too many inconsistencies unaddressed.
As the inquest continues into 2026, the jury must weigh fragmented CCTV, witness testimony, forensic reports on the storm drain, and telecommunications data—including any relevant images, logs or metadata. The single photograph Fiona claims proves someone else had Noah’s phone after he was last seen remains unseen by the public, yet its alleged existence keeps the debate alive: was Noah truly alone in his final moments, or does the image point to someone who held his phone when he could no longer do so?
For Fiona Donohoe, the photograph is far more than one piece of evidence—it is a mother’s refusal to accept a story that feels incomplete. Whether it ultimately alters the inquest’s findings or remains an unresolved thread in one of Northern Ireland’s most painful mysteries, it continues to hold the attention of a city still searching for answers. Noah is remembered by those who knew him as intelligent, kind, endlessly curious and full of promise—a boy whose sudden disappearance and tragic death left behind questions that refuse to be silenced.
