Noah Donohoe who was found dead in a storm drain in north Belfast in June 2020(Image: PA Media)

On June 24 2020, after Noah’s disappearance, there was a report of unauthorised access to the drain.

An official was tasked with investigating and when he arrived he was told “approximately 50 to 60 youths” had “forced entry” to the area around the culvert opening and had searched the area, Mr McKee said.

The official discovered the lock on a gate from the park to the area had been cut by “something like an angle grinder”. The court was shown a picture of the cut lock and an image of where it was found upstream from the inlet screen.

He replaced the lock on the gate and also put a lock on the inlet screen access hatch.

Mr McKee also addressed the issue of why a screen covering the culvert was replaced after Noah’s disappearance.

He said the use of screens is typically discouraged as they can become blocked, creating a flood risk, and there is also a safety risk if anyone was to fall into water and become trapped by a screen.

He said when they are used, there are two different types: a security screen or a debris screen.

The screen on the Premier Drive Stream inlet had been changed from a debris screen to a security screen after Noah’s death because of the installation of new valves in the culvert.

“It is important to be absolutely clear the installation of security screens was not as a result of Noah’s death,” Mr McKee said.