Courts / Dublin / Report
Civilian garda employee leaked sensitive Pulse information
Summary
A 23‑year‑old former civilian call‑taker for An Garda Siochana, Lauryn McCann, was jailed for two and a half years after pleading guilty to corruptly agreeing to accept an inducement to access Garda intelligence and to obtaining and disclosing Garda intelligence files to a third party. McCann, who had no prior convictions, used her access to the Pulse system to take about 70 photos of sensitive information over a week in May 2020 and sent them via WhatsApp and Snapchat to an individual known to Gardaí, referred to as "R". She claimed she was offered €500 for information about R's brother and later €3,000, which she never received. Gardaí discovered the photos and messages, searched McCann's workstation and other locations, and found over 400 photos on her phone. McCann was suspended and resigned; she cooperated fully with investigators and pleaded guilty, and the court noted her psychological vulnerability and remorse.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Civilian garda employee leaked sensitive Pulse information. Charges or matters: a count of corruptly agreeing to accept an inducement to access garda intelligence and a count of obtaining and disclosing garda intelligence files to a third party on dates in May 2020. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- May 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
- May 15, 2020 Incident
- May 17, 2020 Other
- May 10 Hearing Or Sentence
- May 17 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2022-11-04 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: a count of corruptly agreeing to accept an inducement to access garda intelligence and a count of obtaining and disclosing garda intelligence files to a third party on dates in May 2020 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He asked Judge Nolan to consider suspending part of any sentence imposed as his client was "very young" at the time of her offending. He imposed a two-and-a-half-year jail sentence on the corruption count, with the second charge taken into consideration.
Places mentioned
Topics
Related court reports
- Man charged with having 56k child abuse images and videos remanded on bail
- Ex-Dáil hopeful's allegations against former employer 'complete fantasy', WRC told
- Mater must pay €10k to worker who said he was wrongly accused of abusing patient
- 'I think we know I won't be getting bail' - Daniel Kinahan charged with directing criminal organisation
- Letting agent who claimed alleged domestic violence victim abandoned tenancy by fleeing to refuge must pay €14.7k
- 77-year-old with 470 convictions told Luas staff to 'f**k off'
If a fact, identity, locality or legal outcome needs review, email the newsroom with this report's details prefilled.
Email a correction request