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The inquest into the death of Noah Donohoe is expected to resume on Monday after proceedings were adjourned in July while four members of the jury were unavailable because of holiday arrangements.
Noah, 14, disappeared in north Belfast in June 2020 and was found dead six days later in an underground water tunnel close to the M2 motorway.
The long-running inquest has been examining the circumstances surrounding his disappearance and death, with an eight-man and two-woman jury having begun deliberations before proceedings were temporarily suspended.
The jury had deliberated for three days by the time of the July adjournment but had not reached the unanimous verdict required by the court.
Noah disappeared in north Belfast in June 2020. His last known location was in the Northwood Road area, close to the entrance of an underground tunnel system.
His body was subsequently discovered in a water tunnel approximately six days after he went missing.
The location where Noah was found was more than 600 metres downstream from the entrance to the tunnel system.
The circumstances surrounding how he came to be in the tunnel have been a central part of the extensive inquest proceedings.
The inquest began at the end of January and has involved lengthy evidence and submissions concerning the circumstances of Noah's death.
Following the conclusion of the evidence, the jury began considering its verdict.
The jury consists of eight men and two women. After three days of deliberations, however, the members had not reached the unanimous decision required by the court.
The proceedings were then adjourned at the beginning of July because four jurors had holiday commitments.
In July, the coroner, Mr Justice Rooney, described the circumstances surrounding the adjournment as “unprecedented”.
The decision to pause proceedings means the jury is expected to return to its deliberations when the inquest resumes on Monday.
Noah's death has attracted widespread public attention since his disappearance in 2020, while his family has continued to seek answers about what happened to him.
The inquest is intended to establish the circumstances surrounding his death based on the evidence presented to the court.
A unanimous verdict is required from the jury before the inquest can reach its conclusion.
Daily Dazzling Dawn understands that the resumed proceedings will focus on the jury's continued consideration of the evidence rather than constituting a new inquest.
No final verdict had been reached at the time of the July adjournment, and the outcome of the deliberations remains pending.
The return of the jury marks another stage in one of Northern Ireland's longest-running and closely followed inquests, more than six years after Noah disappeared.
