Christopher O'Kane appears in Ballymena court charged with possessing PSNI data breach material

A man has appeared in court charged with possessing documents or records likely to be useful to terrorists and possession of articles for use in terrorism.

The court heard police forced their way into 50-year-old Christopher O'Kane's Dungiven home last Friday.

At Coleraine Magistrates’ Court sitting in Ballymena on Monday, O’Kane, sat handcuffed between two police officers. He refused to stand when the charges were read to him.

The court also heard that O'Kane, of Main Street in Feeny, was in bed when the police burst in.

Two mobile phones were found in his bedroom, and one of them contained the spreadsheet that was inadvertently posted online disclosing sensitive personal information on 10,000 police officers and civilian PSNI employees.

The court heard that parts were highlighted which included details of sections of officers.

The officer also said O’Kane had registered with a website that could be used to search for addresses using surnames.

The officer said police believe O’Kane was intending to use the data to attempt to identify the home addresses of those named.

The second phone contained images of explosive detonators, the court was told.

Also found was an encrypted USB device that would allow a web-user to remain incognito.

A PSNI officer objected to bail based on the current heightened security situation.

Bail was refused and O’Kane was remanded in custody for four weeks to September 18.

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