Men plead not guilty to terrorist charges over PSNI data breach

Image source, PA MediaImage caption, The data breach occurred in August 2023 when, under a Freedom of Information request, the PSNI released a spreadsheet by mistake

Two men have pleaded not guilty to terrorist charges arising from a data breach concerning serving Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers.

The data breach occurred on 8 August 2023 when, under a Freedom of Information (FoI) 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 on Wednesday.

Cavlan, from Corrainey Park in Dungannon, was charged that between 11 August 2023 and 13 April 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 PSNI 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 PSNI between 11 August 2023 and 12 June 2024.

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

He entered "not guilty" pleas to both charges.

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