Noah Donohoe: Missing person expert says police search 'very good'

A policing expert on missing person cases has described the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) search for Noah Donohoe as "very good". An inquest has been hearing evidence from PSNI Chief Inspector (Philip) Robinson who specialises in missing person cases and has trained and studied in the field at home and abroad. He has also trained hundreds of officers in respect of missing person cases. Robinson conducted an internal compliance review of aspects of the PSNI investigation, and he concluded that there were a number of areas where improvements could be made but overall, he was satisfied the investigation was "gripped well at an early stage". Asked by a barrister for the coroner about how he considered the substance of the investigation, the police witness said it had been "very good, a good response" other than what he described as some technical issues he identified. He also explained the significance of the PSNI decision to pass the investigation into Noah's disappearance to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), saying: "In my time as a district inspector I never passed a missing person case to CID." Asked if he noted any sign of police fatigue during the investiga

Mar 9, 2026 → Mar 9, 2026