The BelTel

The inquest into the death of 14-year-old schoolboy Noah Donohoe is continuing in Belfast.    Noah’s remains were found in a storm drain in North Belfast almost six-years ago.   He had been missing from his home in south belfast for six-days.    The jury has been hearing evidence from his friends and head teacher.   Liam Tunney was at the inquest.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sources say UDA enforcer Colin Simms is offering his services beyond his native South-East Antrim and is trying to get out of Carrickfergus. But UDA brigadiers want £10,000 up front before they take him on – despite Simms bringing a substantial criminal contact book with him.  The Sunday World’s Richard Sullivan reports. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a case which shocked the city, a 56-year-old Londonderry man has been jailed for preventing the lawful burial of his father. Bizarrely, John Garrett O'Sullivan of Culmore Road, had kept his father’s body in a fridge for days. Noel O'Sullivan, who was 86, died in July 2024, but the exact date and cause of death could not be verified. John Garrett O'Sullivan, who has a PhD but has never had a job or claimed benefits, pleaded guilty. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by court reporter, George Jackson. [Warning – some listeners may find some parts of this podcast disturbing]  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The inquest into the death of Noah Donohoe is underway in Belfast. Noah Donohoe’s body was found in a storm drain in north Belfast on June 27, 2020, six days after the St Malachy’s College student went missing. The jury has been played the recording of the phone call Noah’s mother Fiona Donohoe made to police on the evening he went missing and has heard her pre-recorded evidence. She said: Noah had been crying in his bedroom the day he left home Mother Fiona Donohue had “extreme concerns about his mental health”  She questioned if son's life could have been saved if 'right steps' taken by police   Belfast Telegraph reporter Liam Tunney is covering the proceedings.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jon Burrows is taking the leadership of the UUP unopposed after current deputy leader Robbie Butler confirmed that he would not be standing. Current party leader Mike Nesbitt has also said that any decision to replace him as health minister would “perhaps raise questions”. The DUP’s Gavin Robinson has wasted no time - invited his rival for talks, telling him to “set aside issues of the past” - but could ‘unionist unity’ ever really happen? Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Unionist commentators Tim Cairns and Alex Kane and Belfast Telegraph’s Northern Ireland Editor Sam McBride.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The right-wing dating site Whitedate.net, dubbed the ‘Nazi Tinder’, has dozens of members across Ireland. But only one of them mentions love as a motivation, many mention the need to “breed” for the “white race”. The site’s thousands of profiles were leaked online after a hack. A lonely Belfast man said he was looking for a “lady who has never been soiled by other races” and “a bride willing to have children, in order to stop the destruction of our people.” Olivia Peden is joined by Belfast Telegraph reporter Kurtis Reid. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On St Patrick’s Day 2024, Gardaí made a grim discovery, the body of a young woman in a canal just outside Monaghan town. She was 23-year-old Kelly Marie Lynch, originally from County Fermanagh. A former PSNI detective who has investigated a number of prominent murders, including the 2020 killing of Katie Simpson by Jonathan Creswell, believes Kelly Lynch’s case should be upgraded to a murder investigation. Host: Fionnán Sheehan Guest: Catherine Fegan & James Brannigan  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A woman identified by Garda as the Enniskillen bombing IRA commander is living an ‘ordinary life’ in Fermanagh – reports have claimed. Twelve people died in the massacre which took place during a Remembrance Day service in 1987. Relatives of the victims, including Stephen Gault, who lost his father and was injured in the attack, say they are sickened by the allegation.   David O’Dornan spoke to Ciarán Dunbar.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Northern Ireland women say they are shocked after finding out their clothing was removed from legitimate photographs taken when they were children. The PSNI are investigating allegations artificial intelligence software was used to remove teenagers’ clothing. The story comes to light as the UK plans a law to make it illegal to create non-consensual intimate images.  Ciarán Dunbar is joined by the Belfast Telegraph’s crime correspondent, Allison Morris. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Northern Ireland’s criminal defence barristers are on indefinite strike over pay.  The move will exacerbate delays in a system already notorious for how slowly it can operate but the lawyers say they have been left with no option.  Justice Minister Naomi Long says the strike is unnecessary and will have a "devastating impact on the justice system, particularly for victims".  Ciarán Dunbar is joined by criminal defence barristers, Michael Forde and Aoife Macauley, who put forward their case. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.