The BelTel

The inquest into the death of Noah Donohoe has been hearing its 17th week of evidence. This week the inquest heard a police constable say investigating the culvert in which the teenager's body was found was “not a priority” during the first few days of the search. The jury also heard an engineer say it was ‘Extremely unlikely’ Noah entered the watercourse from anywhere but culvert entrance at Premier Drive. Liam Tunney is the Belfast Telegraph’s chief reporter on the inquest. 

Tommy Fleming has for decades been a star of international acclaim. The Sligo singer has played to sold out crowds, toured with Phil Coulter, and enjoyed much of his success with his wife Tina by his side. Tommy called Tina the “most decent and loving” person he knew, while Tina said her relationship with him was “special and fulfilling”. But last year, the cracks in their life together started to show. Details of their separation, of Tommy’s affairs and drug use, of his “living a lie”, have been aired in a leaked phone call recording and explosive interviews from both Tommy and Tina. Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Darragh Nolan, multimedia reporter with the Irish Independent, to look at the full story of Tommy Fleming. We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at BelfastTelegraph.co.uk/ourjournalism.

The trial of Jeffrey Donaldson for alleged sex crimes has heard he wrote a letter to an alleged victim asking for forgiveness. The court was read the letter from June 2020 to a woman he is accused of abusing. In it he asked for her forgiveness for “hurt and pain I have caused”. In the letter to Witness A, he referred to “sinful and selfish actions” and wrote he wanted to “take full responsibility for all I have done”. An interview recorded in March 2024 was shown to the court, which showed Witness A recounting two main alleged incidents. The witness said that inappropriate touching had become “a very casual thing”. 63-year-old Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to 18 alleged historical sexual offences.  Allison Morris is covering the trial for the Belfast Telegraph.

Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson apologised to one of his alleged victims at a church retreat in the mid-1990s, a court heard today. Jurors were also told second complainant wrote letter to two defendants about the secret ‘she had to keep’  The prosecution delivered its opening address in the Donaldson trial on Wednesday. The former DUP leader is on trial at Newry Crown Court for alleged historical sexual offences. The 63 year-old has pleaded not guilty to 18 alleged offences.  Allison Morris was in court. 

A search has begun near the shores of Lough Neagh for one of the Disappeared. 29-year-old Seamus Maguire is thought to have been killed and secretly buried by republicans 50 years ago. The search operation is on land near to his homeplace of Aghagallon, near Lurgan.  It is the first search for one of the Disappeared to take place in Northern Ireland for 16 years.  Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Belfast Telegraph Journalist Andrew Madden. 

The murder of Pat Finucane is one of the most notorious of the troubles. The 39-year-old Belfast solicitor was shot dead at his family home in north Belfast in 1989 by UDA gunmen. A series of investigations revealed collusion with the state. The first hearing of a public inquiry into the killing is set to take place next month – with Sir Gary Hickinbottom as chairman of the inquiry. Pat Finucane’s family, including his son, Sinn Fein MP John Finucane, has long fought for an inquiry into the case to be opened.  Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Allison Morris to preview the inquest. 

The trial of former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson and the trial of the facts of his wife, Eleanor Donaldson, will be heard together.  Eleanor Donaldson, who had faced charges of aiding and abetting which she strenously denies, has been declared unfit to stand trial. Jeffrey Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to 18 alleged offences, including one count of rape, as well as allegations of indecent assault and gross indecency spanning a time period between 1985 and 2008, with two alleged victims.  The former DUP leader’s trial and the trial of the facts will begin on Tuesday. The Attorney General has issued advice on commenting on legal cases.  What is a trial of the facts, can you comment online about the case, and what can we expect next week?  Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Belfast Telegraph Northern Ireland Editor Sam McBride. 

The jury in Noah Donohoe inquest have heard a sixteenth week of evidence. The schoolboy was just 14 when his naked body was found in the storm drain tunnel on June 27, 2020. He had been missing for six days.  On Thursday, an expert witness gave testimony on the CCTV footage of Noah leaving his flat during the night before he went missing.   Earlier in the week the jury heard that conditions in culvert where his body was found would have been “terrifying”.  Liam Tunney is covering the inquest for the Belfast Telegraph. 

In 1920 a momentous decision was finalised - three Ulster counties, Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan would not be included in the new Northern Ireland. It was felt that the new entity would be more secure without those counties which had nationalist majorities. But they also had large, Protestant, Unionist, Loyalist minorities - then abandoned in the new Irish Free State.  Ed Burke has written a new book – it's called ‘Ulster's Lost Counties: Loyalism and Paramilitarism since 1920’. In it he examines armed loyalism and resistance to Irish nationalism coming from the people of the three counties.