‘Her profile picture isn’t too shabby’: Disgraced ex-Garda supplied Pulse data on female motorists to friend

Disgraced ex-Garda Shane Flanagan engaged in “repeated criminality” by supplying Pulse identification data on 14 female motorists to a friend so they could view the females’ profile photos on Facebook.At Ennis Circuit Court, Judge Francis Comerford imposed a sentence of nine months on Flanagan (41) of Ennis, Co Clare, to run consecutively to the seven-year term Flanagan received in July 2025 for inciting strangers to rape a female colleague.Comerford said it was a “very serious offence for Flanagan to disclose Pulse information during the course of his duties” between January and September 2020 to his friend Colm Meere (45) of Knockanean, Tulla Road, Ennis.The judge said “a Garda’s role is to protect society and women in society” but Flanagan had engaged in “repeated criminality” in providing the Pulse data on the women concerned.READ MOREHe imposed a 14-month suspended prison term on married father of two Meere, who pleaded guilty to inciting Flanagan to give out the unauthorised Pulse data.Flanagan – appearing in court via video-link from the Midlands Prison – and Meere had pleaded guilty to sample counts concerning the unauthorised disclosure of Pulse data on 14 female motorists between January and September 2020.Comerford said Meere had engaged in “creepy” behaviour in seeking out the information so he could view the Facebook profile photos, and that the circumstances around the offending “brings a level of disgrace and shame”.During the garda interview, Meere said: “I have a wife and kids and obviously I should not have been doing what I was doing.”He told gardaí that it was “stupid, male, egotistical behaviour”.[ Call for stiffer sentences after ‘crazy’ driver speeding wrong way killed manOpens in new window ]The judge said there was no evidence of Meere making contact with the women online, making Facebook friend requests or seeking them out.He said an alarming feature of the case was that the garda from whom Meere obtained the Pulse data “was someone who committed some very sinister and obsessive offences of a sexual nature” that he was sentenced for last year.The judge said there was no evidence before the court that Meere knew anything about Flanagan’s more serious offending.Insp Paul English told the court that the unauthorised Pulse data offences came to light as part of the separate Garda investigation into Flanagan inciting others to rape a colleague.The investigation involved the seizure of Flanagan’s mobile phone, on which were 2,212 screenshots of Pulse records.The Garda investigation uncovered chats between then Garda Flanagan and Meere which showed Meere over a nine-month period making requests to get the names of registered owners of cars driven by females he had seen at different locations, based on their registration plates.[ Three men appear in court in connection with mosque model on loyalist bonfireOpens in new window ]Meere’s wife was in court to hear the State lay out the details of the case.In one exchange between Flanagan and Meere, one female car owner is described by Meere as “a blond from Feakle and a cracker”.In another exchange, Meere, after seeing a profile picture on Facebook of a female driver, said “her profile picture isn’t too shabby – like her pants were painted onto her”.In response, Flanagan said: “She has some arse on her now to be fair. She is a teacher now.” In response Meere texted back, “she can teach me anything she wants to teach me”.Counsel for the State, Sarah Jane Comerford, said none of the women wished to make a victim impact statement.Counsel for Flanagan, Mark Nicholas, told the court that the two friends had engaged in “silly, ridiculous, wrong, laddish type behaviour”. He said it was “utterly, utterly inappropriate”.Counsel for Meere, Patrick Whyms (instructed by solicitor, Daragh Hassett) said his client was “shocked, ashamed and appalled at his behaviour”.Comerford imposed a separate suspended 18-month prison term on Meere after he pleaded guilty to a drug trafficking offence, whereby on April 14th, 2022, he had in his possession at Henry Street Garda station, Limerick, a tick list, bag sealer, tin foil, scissors, baggies and a mobile phone.