A former garda jailed last July for inciting strangers to rape a colleague is to enter further pleas to the alleged unauthorised disclosure of Garda PULSE personal data on two individuals.
At Ennis Circuit Court, Shane Flanagan, 39, with an address in Ennis appeared via video-link from prison in connection with the alleged unauthorised PULSE disclosure charges.
Mr Flanagan - who turns 40 next month - first pleaded guilty to two counts on dates between 12 January 2020 and 24 September 2020 out of 14 PULSE counts before the court last October and sentencing was due to take place today.
However, following an application by counsel for Mr Flanagan, Aaron Desmond BL, Judge Francis Comerford has deferred sentencing to a later date.
Counsel for the State, Sarah Jane Comerford BL said that more pleas were forthcoming on counts 2 to 13.
Mr Desmond asked that sentencing be adjourned as a psychiatric report on Mr Flanagan is not yet ready for the court.
He said: "It is an unusual matter."
Judge Comerford adjourned the case to tomorrow for Mr Flanagan to be further arraigned to enter more pleas concerning the remaining counts against him and to fix a date for sentence.
Addressing Mr Flanagan on the video screen, Judge Comerford said: "You are going to be asked to plead guilty to a number of additional counts."
He said: "If you have any reservations about that or if you want to speak to your solicitors personally I will facilitate that. What is your wish?
Mr Flanagan - who resigned from the force last March - asked "is that to plead to the original charges?" and Judge Comerford confirmed that was the case.
In reply Mr Flanagan said: "Yeah - no bother, I am happy to proceed tomorrow without talking to my counsel judge."
At the Central Criminal Court last July, Ms Justice Eileen Creedon sentenced Mr Flanagan to eight years in prison and suspended the final year.
The court heard that Mr Flanagan impersonated a female colleague online and encouraged strangers to come to her house to rape her and her young daughters.
Ms Justice Creedon said that Shane Flanagan showed a breathtaking disregard for the safety of his victims.
Mr Flanagan admitted two counts of inciting two men to rape the woman, who had been a friend, on dates between November and December 2020.
Flanagan also admitted six counts of endangering the woman and her teenage daughters through his communications online and he pleaded guilty to possessing four images of child sexual abuse material.
The court heard that Flanagan and the woman were both serving members of An Garda Síochána at the time. They were friends but had never had a romantic or intimate relationship.
Judge Comerford remanded Mr Flanagan to re-appear via video-link before Ennis Circuit Court to tomorrow.
