A man from County Armagh has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for terrorism-related offences.

Samuel McCaughey was charged with 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 members of armed forces, likely to be useful to terrorists, both under section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

Following release from prison, he will spend 12 months on licence. He will also be subject to the Counter-Terrorism Registration for a period of 10 years.

In May 2020, McCaughey went to Lurgan Police Station in relation to the production of driving documents. Whilst approaching the station, he was observed recording vehicles in the yard.

When challenged by station security, he put his phone away.

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.

Detective Inspector McCamley, from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Organised Crime Branch, said: “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.”