PSNI data breach: Spreadsheet 'highlighted police commanders'

Christopher O'Kane, seen at a previous court hearing

A spreadsheet allegedly found on the phone of a man facing terrorism-related charges highlighted police commanders, the High Court has heard.

The document, linked to a major police data breach, also allegedly highlighted an officer previously targeted in a dissident republican bomb attempt.

The data breach occurred on 8 August.

Personal information on all serving PSNI members was mistakenly published in response to a Freedom of Information request.

Prosecutors allege that Christopher O'Kane, 50, accessed a website used to search for residential addresses within hours of receiving the names of members of the force.

But a defence barrister described the accused as a "computer geek" who has only been charged because of his republican affiliations.

Mr O'Kane, of Main Street in Feeny, County Londonderry, is accused of possessing two mobile phones for use in terrorism and having documents likely to be useful to terrorists - namely the spreadsheet of names.

The details released in the PSNI data breach included the surname and first initial of every employee, their rank or grade, where they are based and their department.

Within days it was confirmed that dissident republicans had accessed the information.

As Mr O'Kane applied for bail, the court heard his home was searched on 18 August as part of the police response.

It was claimed that he tried to conceal one phone, while a second mobile was located under a bedroom pillow.

'Highly efficient in technology'

Examinations established that the spreadsheet of officers' names had been sent to one of the devices by WhatsApp and downloaded before the message was deleted, according to a Crown lawyer.

She contended that Mr O'Kane was "highly efficient in technology" and tried to wipe his digital footprint.

Sections of the downloaded spreadsheet were said to have been highlighted.

"They included those in senior executive teams in the PSNI and officers based in Derry which is the closest city to where the applicant resides," the prosecutor disclosed.

"Two individual officers cause specific concern - one has had multiple dealings with Mr O'Kane and one who in recent years was the victim of an attempted bomb attack by dissident republicans.

"They have been highlighted on this spreadsheet and ended up on Mr O'Kane's phone."

Three hours after receiving the WhatsApp message, he allegedly accessed a website which includes residential addresses throughout the UK.

"Mr O'Kane has conducted a persons search for those resident in the Londonderry area," counsel added.

Joe Brolly, defending, insisted his client poses no risk to any police officers.

He told the court Mr O'Kane is an IT expert and the administrator for websites run by Irish republican political grouping Saoradh and the Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association (IRPWA).

"He's a computer geek," the barrister said.

Mr Brolly argued that the data had been shared among thousands of people and that Mr O'Kane deleted the file after it was sent to him.

"The difference is because he's the administrator of the Saoradh and IRPWA websites he immediately becomes a suspect," he submitted.

Reserving judgement, Mr Justice Humphreys indicated he will rule on the bail application at a later stage.