A MAN who used his phone to record vehicles at a Co. Armagh police station has been jailed for terrorism-related offences.
Samuel McCaughey, 35, from Lurgan was handed an 18-month custodial sentence and will spend 12 months on licence following his release from prison.
McCaughey will also be subject to the Counter-Terrorism Registration for a period of 10 years.
On May 27, 2020, McCaughey attended Lurgan Police Station where he had been asked to produce 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,” said Detective Inspector McCamley of the PSNI.
“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.”
McCaughey was subsequently charged with collecting or making a record of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.
He was also charged with publishing or communicating information about members of armed forces, likely to be useful to terrorists.
Both offences come under section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
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