Man convicted of terrorism offences over PSNI data breach

A man has been convicted of four terrorist offences linked to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) data breach in 2023.

Christopher Paul O'Kane, 53, from Iniscarn Road in Londonderry, had denied the preparation of terrorist acts and having articles in the use of terrorism, including mobile phones and a laptop.

He further denied having documents or records for use in terrorism, namely two spreadsheets containing details on serving PSNI officers and police staff officers.

At Belfast Crown Court on Monday, a senior judge convicted O'Kane before refusing a bail application and remanding him in custody ahead of sentencing.

The offences were committed on dates between 7 and 19 August 2023.

He had also pleaded not guilty to viewing videos online relating to improvised explosive devices and their detonation between 1 and 19 August 2023.

The data breach happened in August 2023, when the PSNI released the names of thousands of staff and officers by mistake, under a Freedom of Information (FoI) request.

The list included the surname and first initial of every employee, their rank or grade, where they were based and the unit in which they work.

O'Kane was arrested 10 days after the data breach.

During a subsequent non-jury trial, prosecutors said O'Kane had engaged in a deliberate, concerted course of conduct following the mistaken release of the PSNI data.

The prosecution argued O'Kane did not simply receive but actively sought out this information and then engaged in an analysis of it.

The prosecution presented evidence during the trial which indicated that the spreadsheet was present, opened and accessed on O'Kane's devices and was subsequently manipulated by him.

It was also the Crown's case that information regarding several police officers known to O'Kane were highlighted and he made a series of internet searches including methods of remote detonation of explosive devices.

At trial, the defence had argued there was no evidence O'Kane intended to use any of the material for a terrorist purpose and that the internet search was in relation to a planned family fireworks display.

O'Kane claimed his interest in the material was solely political and could be used as propaganda in highlighting a significant failure by the PSNI.

In court on Monday the senior judge also considered bad character evidence setting out O'Kane's previous offending.

That included assisting offenders in January 1993 in connection to the murder of a 21-year old police constable who was shot in Derry.

O'Kane was also part of an IRA unit who, in October 1993, attacked a police patrol in Derry, while in February 1994, he was involved in taking a boat from Foyle Search and Rescue which was used to transport a bomb to Fort George Army base where two soldiers were injured.

He had also been convicted of taking part in an unnotified procession in April 2018 and again in 2019, while in November 2022 O'Kane and a second man were involved in an altercation with police outside Junior McDaid house on Chamberlain Street in Derry.

Prosecutors said this indicated that over a sustained period of time O'Kane has demonstrated longstanding hostility towards members of the police and security services.

Giving judgement, Mr Justice Fowler said the defence argument was "unsustainable" when set "against the compelling circumstantial case" presented by the Crown.

Mr Justice Fowler continued: "Accordingly I convict the accused ... on all the counts on the bill of indictment."

A bail application was also refused.

"These are serious offences and I'm remanding the defendant into custody," Mr Justice Fowler added.

A date for the sentencing hearing has yet to be fixed.