In the video interview, in which he spoke about his addiction issues, Paul also addressed anyone with information about what happened to Noah, saying: “It’s never too late to do the honourable thing”.
In a statement to the inquest, he explained that on the day of Noah’s disappearance when he found Noah’s rucksack, he was on bail and electronically tagged.
He said he was not aware of Noah or that he was missing when he found the boy’s possessions.
“I never met or even seen Noah,” he said.
In an additional statement, he told the inquest about “untrue rumours” linking him to the wider case around the disappearance of the schoolboy.
Paul said he and his family had been threatened.
He also repeated an appeal to anyone who knew anything about the case.
“I honestly feel that if anyone knows what happened to him, they should come forward.”
He described how he is “upset about all the rumours” and stated that if he knew “all the trouble it could cause” he would never have touched the boy’s belongings.
Paul interrupted proceedings late in the afternoon to request a break and is expected to return to the witness stand on Monday.