Noah Donohoe inquest: Independence of expert witness questioned

Questions have been raised at the Noah Donohoe inquest about the independence of an expert witness for a Stormont department. The Department for Infrastructure is involved in the inquest arising from its management of a culvert in north Belfast close to where the schoolboy was last seen almost six years ago. Noah's body was found in an underground water tunnel not far from the M2 motorway in north Belfast in June 2020. He disappeared six days earlier close to the culvert entrance more than 600 metres upstream beside a residential area at Northwood Road. Jeremy Benn is a hydrologist and engineer who has been instructed as an expert witness at the inquest for the Department for Infrastructure. Benn told the inquest on Thursday that he has provided training about culvert operations to staff at the Department for Infrastructure. On Friday, the inquest was told that Jeremy Benn Associates had conducted consultancy contract work for the department when Benn was its chief executive officer. Benn said he no longer holds that position and the company is now owned by a staff trust, and he has an advisory role. The witness was asked if, after being approached to act as an expert witness for t