Pair deny terrorist charges after data breach concerning serving PSNI officers

Two men appeared in court today where they denied terrorist charges arising from a data breach concerning serving PSNI officers .

The data breach occurred on August 8, 2023 when, under a Freedom of Information request, the PSNI released a spreadsheet by mistake.

This spreadsheet contained in excess of 10,000 entries which included sensitive information regarding a significant number of PSNI officers and staff.

Brian Francis Cavlan, 52, and 45-year old Rory Martin Logan appeared alongside each other in the dock of Belfast Crown Court.

Cavlan, from Corrainey Park in Dungannon, was charged that between August 11, 2023 and April 13, 2024 he collected information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

The charge alleges that between those dates, Cavlan possessed two spreadsheets containing details of serving police officers and employees of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and two screenshots of portions of the spreadsheet containing details of persons in the employment of PSNI.

When asked how he pleaded to the charge, Cavlan replied "not guilty."

Co-accused Logan, whose address was given on the court papers as HMP Maghaberry and who is from Enniskillen, was then charged with two counts of collecting information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

He was charged with possessing a copy of a spreadsheet containing details of serving police officers and employees of the Police Service of Northern Ireland between August 11, 2023 and June 12, 2024.

Logan was also charged with possessing a copy of a spreadsheet containing details of serving police officers and employees of the Police Service of Northern Ireland between August 11, 2023 and July 4, 2024.

He denied the two charges and entered "not guilty" pleas to both.

No date for a trial was set today but Judge Gordon Kerr KC said he would review the case in early November.