A naval officer was today facing up to two years in military prison for disclosing sensitive information on the whereabouts of Navy ships.
Able Seaman Eoin Gray, who serves on the LE Orla, was also accused of conspiring to smuggle cocaine into Ireland but the charge was later dropped by prosecutors.
Because no evidence was presented on the dropped charges, much of the details of the case remain secret.
The 24-year-old from Dublin originally pleaded not guilty to five charges, including possession of cocaine and eight hair straighteners, at a court martial at McKee Barracks in north Dublin.
Military judge Colonel Anthony McCourt told the hearing the accused was charged under the Defence Act 1954 of knowingly and without due authority disclosing details on Navy ships at sea between December 4th and 14th 2008.
The sailor had contacted a colleague at the Fisheries Monitoring Centre in the Naval headquarters at Haulbowline, in Cork, to find out the operational status of the LE Orla.
Commander Patrick Burke, prosecuting for the Defence Forces legal services, said he had also requested details on when the patrol ship would be on standby.
The prosecutor said he wanted the information to find out if he would be free at the weekend and had sent it on through mobile phone texts to his girlfriend.
The sailor, who has been with the Defence Forces since June 2006, was also accused of two charges under the Misuse of Drugs Act of conspiring to help unknown persons illegally import cocaine into Ireland and possession of cocaine.
Gray faced an extra charge of being in possession of eight counterfeit hair straighteners at Lower Glanmire Road, Cork, on December 15th 2008, the hearing was told.
Dressed in full Navy regalia, and flanked by military escorts, he initially denied all five charges.
But after a lengthy adjournment, defence lawyer Ross Maguire asked that the charge on disclosing
information about Navy ships be read out again before a court martial panel, or jury, of five military personnel.
Gray then pleaded guilty and Commander Burke said he would drop all other charges.
Judge Col McCourt ordered the court martial panel to return a guilty verdict on the admitted charge and acquit the defendant of the remaining charges.
He is to be sentenced tomorrow and faces a maximum of two years in a military detention centre in the Curragh army camp, Co Kildare.
The naval officer could also be dismissed from the Defence Forces.
The court martial was told military records showed Gray was unmarried and had no children, but Mr Maguire said his client was the father of a two-year-old daughter.
Files also showed Gray, who earns around 604 euro a week, went absent without leave from the Navy for five hours and 30 minutes in May 2007.
He was fined €50 and had a 14-day stoppage placed on his shore leave over the incident.
Records stated Gray has no civil convictions.
A Defence Forces spokesman said the sailor had been moved from any militarily sensitive duties pending the outcome of the court martial.
Among those attending the hearing were Detective Chief Superintendent Tony Quilter, head of the Garda National Drugs Unit.
PA