A former British Telecom operator was jailed for five years yesterday for spying on the personal telephone accounts of loyalist politicians and legal figures in Northern Ireland. Belfast Crown Court judge Mr Justice Higgins told Paul Edwards (34) that "only a custodial sentence can be justified" for his "very substantial breach of trust".
Mr Justice Higgins said he would not speculate on what Edwards did with the information, but that he did collect the information "is beyond doubt".
Edwards, from Glencolin Way in west Belfast, was convicted of four charges of collecting information useful to terrorists between April and June 1996.
He had used his BT computer to hack into the telephone accounts of RUC personnel, those holding judicial office and others prominent in political affairs in Northern Ireland, the judge said.
Mr Justice Higgins said Edwards initially, on April 4th, 1996, gained access to the telephone account of leading UDP politician, Mr John White.
For the next two weeks Edwards monitored Mr White's account, at one stage checking on 114 telephone numbers appearing on the account.
From this Edwards, over the coming weeks, was able to call up the accounts of other leading loyalist politicians including UDP leader Mr Gary McMichael, UDP member Mr David Adams and PUP leader Mr David Ervine.
The court heard Edwards then hacked into the account of Mr Ronnie Flanagan, then deputy chief constable of the RUC, who later became Chief Constable.
He scanned eight pages of accounts, from which he gained access to 81 telephone numbers the police chief had called.
On June 21st Edwards read the accounts of prosecuting QC Mr John Creaney, looking at 17 pages of itemised calls.
They included calls he had made to two senior High Court judges and other Crown lawyers.
Police finally picked up Edwards the next day as he left his work in Dial House in Belfast's city centre.