The barrister said police arrested Paul later on the same day but he was never asked where he had found the laptop or about the green coat.

She then showed the jury phone records from Noah’s phone on the day he disappeared.

Ms Campbell said Noah’s mother Fiona had called her son’s mobile six times on the evening he went missing.

She said: “Whoever had Noah’s phone in their hand at 18.50 would have a phone with six missed calls from ‘Mum’.”

The jury was then shown a map of the area in north Belfast where the phone was when Ms Donohoe sent a text message to her son on June 21 2020.

She said Victoria Parade, where Paul said he had gone after leaving Frederick Street, was within the area of the map.

She said: “Did you have Noah’s phone?”

Paul said: “No, I did not.”

Ms Campbell continued: “Did you see that message coming in and those phone calls?”

He said: “I don’t appreciate that question, but the answer is no.”

She said: “It is not too late to tell the truth, not too late to give him some justice.”

He responded: “Thank you, but no.”

Ms Campbell added: “Was it you who went along North Queen Street and who chucked his phone over the railings into Castleton Park?”

He said: “I wasn’t even there.”

She said: “You realised this was a phone that was a bit hot, there was a mummy desperate to find her child?”

Paul said: “No.”

The witness then answered questions from his own barrister in the inquest, Ian Skelt KC.

Paul told his counsel he had known “nothing whatsoever” about Noah being missed before he was questioned by police about the stolen laptop.

The witness said he had pleaded guilty to the offence of stealing Noah’s laptop in court.

Paul was again shown the CCTV from Queen’s Quarter and told the court he had not noticed Noah when he cycled past him.