A 35-year-old Lurgan man has been jailed after secretly recording police vehicles inside Lurgan station and posting the footage to hundreds of people on social media in an act a judge ruled was likely to be useful to terrorists.
Samuel McCaughey, aged 35, had been charged with collecting or making a record of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, and publishing or communicating information about members of armed forces, likely to be useful to terrorists. Both offences are under section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
McCaughey was handed an 18-month custodial sentence, and will spend 12 months on licence following his release from prison for both offences.
He will also be subject to the Counter-Terrorism Registration for a period of 10 years.
Detective Inspector McCamley, from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Organised Crime Branch, said: “On Wednesday, 27th May 2020 McCaughey entered Lurgan Police Station in relation to the production of driving documents.
“While he was walking down the yard and towards the enquiry office, he was observed recording vehicles within the yard on his phone. When challenged by station security he put his phone away.
“Officers conducted a subsequent search and the phone was seized after McCaughey threw it from his pocket and onto the ground.
“Forensic evidence revealed that a video of a number of police vehicles within the station had been placed on his own social media and distributed to hundreds of his personal contacts.
“This was a lengthy investigation that presented as a potential security risk to our officers, which ultimately could have disclosed the location and operational presence of police resources.
“McCaughey’s actions caused significant concern and worry among officers and contributed to a heightened sense of vulnerability, particularly given the potential for such sensitive information to be misused and cause harm.”
