The BelTel

The inquest into the death of 14-year-old Noah Donohoe has now heard its 19th week of evidence. The inquest has now heard from mental health experts - one said it ‘feels like there is so much we don’t know about this case’. But the experts do agree that Noah is “unlikely to have died by suicide”. They also agreed that Jordan Peterson’s book ‘12 Rules For Life’ would have had an “influence” on Noah. The teenager’s body was found in a storm drain in June 2020 after being missing for six days.

Liam Tunney is covering the inquest for the Belfast Telegraph, he spoke to Olivia Peden.
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Jeffrey Donaldson has denied raping a seven-year-old child, under cross-examination, saying “it simply didn’t happen”. The former MP spent Thursday on the witness stand in Newry Crown Court. During the questioning, he admitted having an affair. Mr Donaldson is accused of rape and several counts of gross indecency and of indecent assault. The sixty-three-year-old has pleaded not guilty to the 18 alleged offences.

Allison Morris is covering the trial for the Belfast Telegraph.
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Violence sparked by a knife attack in Belfast continues. A Sudanese man has been charged over that incident. Twelve police officers have been injured as they confront rioters and attempts to target minorities. The PSNI deployed a water cannon in Newtownabbey as they were pelted with bricks. Meanwhile a health trusts says it is ‘horrified’ after a nurse ‘with different skin colour’ was chased into hospital by masked men.

Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Kevin Scott.
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Northern Ireland has seen serious race riots for the third year in a row. Masked men staged violent protests in number of areas, but the trouble was concentrated in the greater Belfast area, with homes set alight off the Crumlin Road and in east Belfast.

A Glider bus was set alight on the Newtownards Road and a police car was burned in Portadown.

The disorder followed an attempted murder involving a knife in north Belfast on Monday night.

A 30-year-old Sudanese man has been charged.

The Belfast Telegraph’s Visuals Editor Kevin Scott was on the ground in Belfast and Liam Tunney was in court.
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Eleanor Donaldson “met with a blank wall” when asking her husband Jeffrey about an incident with an alleged abuse – a jury has heard. Eleanor Donaldson also accused her husband of infidelity during police interviews.

And Jeffrey Donaldson told police a letter sent to one of his alleged victims had nothing “to do with any allegation or any action involving sexual abuse”. His trial over alleged sexual offences is continuing in Newry Crown Court.

The 63-year-old has pleaded not guilty to 18 charges, including one count of rape and allegations of indecent assault and gross indecency. His wife Eleanor Donaldson faces five related charges including aiding and abetting – she is facing a trial of the facts due to her mental health issues.

Allison Morris is covering the trial.
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