PSNI officer felt 'fear and disbelief' after data breach

A Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officer has told the High Court in Belfast that he had planned to take his own life after his mental health "plummeted" following a major data breach within the PSNI.

The court is hearing claims for damages by six people impacted by the breach in 2023.

The data breach occurred when the PSNI accidentally released details of its 9,400-strong workforce in response to a Freedom of Information request.

The officer, referred to as MTB402, broke down as he told the court that he had considered suicide in 2025.

He said he changed his mind after he saw a family, a woman and a child, in the place he had gone to and that "he didn't want them to see it".

He said he felt trapped and that he was not getting the help he needed from the PSNI.

MTB402 described his "fear and disbelief" when he first heard about the data breach.

He said he had never advertised the fact that he worked for the PSNI and if he was asked what he did for a living, he lied.

He said he had done everything to protect himself and now his data was "in the hands of people who wanted it".

The details were published on a website and later obtained by dissident republicans.

MTB402 explained how the data breach had impacted both him and his family.

He told the court he could not sleep and could not get the thoughts out of his head.

MTB402 had continued to work after the data breach but by December he described himself as "struggling".

Due to his low, dark mood, he said he handed in his firearm as he said he was "scared he would use it on himself".

During evidence, the officer broke down again as he explained that his teenage son was old enough to understand what was happening in 2023.

He said that in the intervening time his son has become "withdrawn".

He said, "I believe it is because of me.

"I get angry, really angry. I am really angry at what happened.

"I have psychological problems, I shout and I shouldn't. I feel that I am not a good father any more."

MTB402 said he felt "totally unsupported by his employer".

He said they "didn't do enough to protect and help him".

The family had extensive CCTV cameras installed in the home.

The officer said he had become obsessed with looking at the update notifications on his phone when there was any movement recorded.

When asked by a lawyer if the system had given him any comfort, he said he now "felt trapped inside a CCTV prison".

MTB402 has been off work since April 2025 and said he could not see himself returning to work.

He said he had "no trust or confidence in his employer".

"If I needed help I wouldn't call the police. I don't feel they have my best interests at heart".

The PSNI has accepted liability for the breach, but cannot currently fund the compensation bill.

The government has turned down a request for £119m made on its behalf by the Department of Finance at Stormont to address the issue.

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