Two men deny terrorism-related charges linked to major PSNI data breach
The Belfast Desk | 14 October 2026 | Courts & Crime
Two men have pleaded not guilty to terrorism-related charges arising from the major Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) data breach in August 2023, which exposed sensitive information relating to thousands of police officers and civilian staff.
Brian Francis Cavlan, 52, from Corrainey Park in Dungannon, and Rory Martin Logan, 45, from Enniskillen, appeared together at Belfast Crown Court on Wednesday 14 October.
Both men denied charges relating to the alleged collection of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.
The allegations concern copies of information released accidentally by the PSNI more than three years ago.
Charges relating to PSNI data breach
Cavlan is charged with collecting information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism between 11 August 2023 and 13 April 2024.
The prosecution alleges that he possessed two spreadsheets containing details of serving PSNI officers and employees, together with two screenshots showing portions of the information.
When the charge was put to him at Belfast Crown Court, Cavlan entered a plea of not guilty.
His co-accused, Logan, whose address was recorded on court papers as HMP Maghaberry, faces two charges of collecting information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.
The first charge alleges that he possessed a copy of a spreadsheet containing details of serving police officers and PSNI employees between 11 August 2023 and 12 June 2024.
The second charge relates to alleged possession of a copy of the spreadsheet between 11 August 2023 and 4 July 2024.
Logan pleaded not guilty to both charges.
What happened in the 2023 PSNI data breach?
The charges relate to a major security incident on 8 August 2023, when the PSNI mistakenly released sensitive information while responding to a Freedom of Information request.
A spreadsheet containing more than 10,000 entries was published in error, exposing information relating to serving police officers and civilian employees.
The information included names or identifying details, ranks or grades, roles, departments and work locations.
The disclosure prompted serious concerns about the safety and security of police personnel, particularly those working in sensitive roles.
The spreadsheet was removed after the error was discovered, but the incident led to a major investigation into how the information had been released and the potential consequences for affected staff.
The breach also raised wider questions about information security and the handling of sensitive personal data within public organisations.
Case to return to Belfast Crown Court
No trial date was fixed during Wednesday’s hearing.
Judge Gordon Kerr KC indicated that the case would be reviewed in early November.
Both defendants have denied the allegations against them.
The charges remain before the court, and neither man has been convicted in relation to these proceedings.
External link: Press Association report — Men plead not guilty to terrorist charges over PSNI data breach
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