Courts / Laois / Report
Businessman who had 'cosy relationship' with garda under investigation avoids jail for receiving Pulse data
Summary
Niall Sheehy, a 59‑year‑old car‑sales owner from Ballinteskin, Stradbally, pleaded guilty to four counts of breaching the Data Protection Act for disclosing personal information obtained from the Garda Pulse system between June 2019 and February 2020. He had no money exchanged for the data and did not request it, but the information was sent to him by a serving Garda who had a "cosy relationship" with him. The Garda's phone was seized in March 2020, revealing ten screenshots of Pulse data sent to Sheehy. Sheehy's home was searched and he fully cooperated. Judge Martin Nolan, noting his long‑standing community standing and lack of criminal intent, sentenced him to one year in prison, suspended in full on strict conditions, and found no malice in his receipt of the data. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Businessman who had 'cosy relationship' with garda under investigation avoids jail for receiving Pulse data. Charges or matters: four sample charges of breaking section 145 of the Data Protection Act for disclosure of personal information obtained without authority on dates between June 2019 and February 2020. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- March 2020 Other
- June 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
- February 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2024-03-05 Publication
Why: Niall Sheehy (59), who was running his own car sales business at the time, had initially looked to the garda to get information in relation to the registration of vehicles and anything gardaí may have on the owners that would be of interest to him because of his business. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: four sample charges of breaking section 145 of the Data Protection Act for disclosure of personal information obtained without authority on dates between June 2019 and February 2020 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Judge Nolan said in "certain circumstances" this type of crime would have had "serious consequences" but "this is not the situation here". "He doesn't deserve a prison term for what he did," the judge commented, before he sentenced Sheehy to one year in prison which he suspended in full on strict conditions.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
Topics
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