Fitness brand ambassador who illegally shared confidential garda information spared criminal record

Kirstie Reynolds (31) forwarded images she was sent on Whatsapp of a “catalogue of cars” that had originated on the garda PULSE system and was part of an investigation.

Judge Treasa Kelly adjourned the case at Dublin District and said she would apply the Probation Act if Reynolds paid €200 to charity.

Reynolds, a mother-of-one of Barnewalls Way, Drimnagh, Dublin, pleaded guilty to disclosing personal details under the Data Protection Act on May 14, 2020.

The case was heard previously and came back before Judge Kelly for finalisation. The court heard the accused had no prior convictions.

Defence solicitor Tony Collier said the gardaí had accepted there was no intention on the part of his client to “use this material in any nefarious manner”.

Reynolds, who was also a hospital worker, had limited means and lived in private rented accommodation, Mr Collier said.

Judge Kelly told her to pay €200 to the Society of St Vincent De Paul. Remanding Reynolds on continuing bail to October 24, she said she would dismiss the charge under the Probation Act if this was done.

Previously, Detective Garda Michael Dunne of the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI) said three screenshots from PULSE were sent to Reynolds, who then sent them on to a friend.

The court heard she did not have a “criminal intention” to undermine an investigation and it would have been “obvious” that the images came from the garda computer system.

Det Gda Dunne was satisfied Reynolds “would not know the identity of the information originator”. The source of the pictures was the subject of a "larger investigation".

The images contained information about a "catalogue of cars" on an individual's profile and their date of birth and address.

Reynolds had seen the images as "salacious information" and it did not benefit the person who received it or give anyone an advantage over gardaí.

She was foolish and should have deleted the message instead, Mr Collier said.

The investigation resulted in a "large file", but his client had entered an early guilty plea without seeking disclosure.

Reynolds worked full-time and did not associate with negative peers, Mr Collier said. She was a member of "a prominent gym", helped others with fitness and was "a brand ambassador for a certain fitness clothing line".