'Computer geek' facing terrorism charges over PSNI data leak back in custody the day after he was released

Despite only being granted High Court bail by Mr Justice Humphries on Tuesday, 50-year-old Christopher Paul O'Kane was back in the dock of Limavady Magistrates Court, sitting in Coleraine today after he refused to have an electronic tag fitted.

O’Kane, from Main Street in Feeny, is accused of possessing two mobile phones for the purposes of preparing terrorist acts and having information likely to be useful to terrorists - namely a spreadsheet of police officers’ names.

During a “protracted” application for bail at the High Court on Tuesday, prosecuting counsel claimed that O’Kane had a spreadsheet containing the names of every member of the force on his phone.

The data breach happened in August when, under a Freedom of Information request, police released the names of more than 10,000 staff and officers by mistake.

According to the police case, examinations established that the spreadsheet of officers' names had been sent to one of the devices by WhatsApp message and downloaded before the message was deleted but the information was still accessible offline.

With O'Kane described as someone highly efficient in technology who had allegedly tried to wipe his digital footprint, the court heard that sections of the material sent to his phone were allegedly highlighted, including those featuring senior executive teams in the PSNI and officers based in the Londonderry area.

It was also claimed that two officers were highlighted - one who had multiple dealings with O'Kane, and another who was previously targeted in a dissident republican bomb attack.

Within hours of receiving the WhatsApp message, the accused allegedly accessed a website used to search for residential addresses.

According to defence counsel Joe Brolly, O’Kane is a "computer geek" who wrongly became a suspect because of his links with Irish republicanism.

The court was told that O'Kane worked as an IT consultant and acted as administrator for websites run by Irish republican group, Saoradh, and the Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association.

In court today prosecuting counsel outlined how G4S attended at O’Kane’s bail address to fit the tag and monitoring equipment at 10pm last night but he refused to comply.

She highlighted that less than 12 hours beforehand, Mr Justice Humphries had gone through the numerous bail conditions with O’Kane and his partner to ensure they understood the terms and that he had to “fully comply” with each of them.

The barrister told the court however that O’Kane refused to provide the G4S with personal details to confirm his identity, including his mother’s maiden name or national insurance number.

He then refused to remove his jacket to show the officers tattoos which would also have confirmed his identity and then he refused to have the monitoring tag fitted so the G4S officers had no option but to leave.

Defence solicitor Patrick McGurk argued that “it wasn’t a conscious refusal” by O’Kane but rather was down to the “strong medication” he takes for a psychotic condition and as a result of that, “he can be non co-operative.”

“It’s probably something that could have been avoided,” he conceded, revealing that O’Kane’s partner rang the police “first thing this morning to say that he would be more than happy to comply.”

District Judge Alan White highlighted however “why didn’t she suggest that last night?” and the prosecutor told the court that despite the “protracted bail” application at the High Court over Monday and Tuesday, there was no mention of any strong anti-psychotic medication at any stage.

“My view is that Mr Justice Humphries should decide [the issue of bail] with the evidence before him as to the nature of the medication that he has to take,” said DJ White who refused bail and remanded O’Kane back into custody, adjourning the case to 18 September.