Case against a Co. Armagh man depends on material from Facebook, court hears
The case against a Co. Armagh man accused of collecting a police officer’s address and photograph for a terrorist purposes depends on material from Facebook, a court heard today.
Indicating that the file against Sean Martin is currently with the director of the PPS, a prosecuting lawyer told Craigavon Magistrates Court that while the investigating officer has applied to Facebook for the material, “there is no time frame” for when that material will be received.
“The test for prosecution can only happen on receipt of that material from the US however that is a matter beyond the control of the Director and a further adjournment is sought,” said the lawyer.
Martin, from Carrigart Manor in Craigavon, is on bail facing two charges arising from an incident on 6 July 2023 including collecting or making a record of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism and publishing or communicating information “about an individual who is or has been a constable in the PSNI which was of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.”
The charges relate to allegations that Martin took a photograph of a police officer’s private car and that he sent a message with the policeman’s house number to the Facebook account allegedly belonging to a deceased friend.
Previous courts have heard claims that both men had been at a pharmacy to pick up prescriptions when Martin overheard the officer providing his address to staff.
The defendant, who knows the policeman, also allegedly took a photo of him standing by his car after they left the pharmacy and although no vehicle registration details were identified, it is believed to have been sent to a WhatsApp group of up to 15 people.
It was also alleged during an earlier bail application that within minutes of the encounter Martin posted on his Facebook profile: “A police officer was stupid enough to give out their address in front of me” and that he sent a message with the policeman’s house number to an account in the name of a deceased friend.
In court today defence counsel Andrew Moriarity said while he was grateful of the prosecution update “the one thing that strikes a note of concern for me is the fact that there is no time frame for the receipt of the Facebook material.”
“I’m just wondering therefore in the circumstances how much longer should be given,” he asked rhetorically.
District Judge Michael Ranaghan said it was clear the investigating officer “has done his utmost” to progress the case but that it was a balancing exercise between the “competing interests of the defendant and the public interest in matters being properly prosecuted.”
Adjourning the case to 12 March the judge told the PPS and Mr Moriarty he will “keep a relatively light rein” on the case so he will be reviewing the case every three weeks.