Disgraced ex-Garda, Shane Flanagan engaged in “repeated criminality” by supplying PULSE identification data on 14 female motorists in Co Clare to a friend so the friend could view the females’ profile photos on Facebook.
At Ennis Circuit Court, Judge Francis Comerford has imposed a sentence of nine months on Shane Flanagan (41) of Ennis, Co Clare to run consecutive to the seven year term Mr Flanagan received in July 2025 for inciting strangers to rape a female colleague.
Judge Comerford said that it was a “very serious offence for Mr 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 Rd, Ennis.
Judge Comerford said that “a Garda’s role is to protect society and women in society” but Mr Flanagan had engaged in ‘repeated criminality’ in providing the PULSE data on the women concerned.
Judge Comerford imposed a 14-month suspended prison term on married father of two, Mr Meere who pleaded guilty to inciting Mr Flanagan to give out the unauthorised PULSE data.
Mr Flanagan – appearing in court via video-link from the Midlands Prison – and Mr Meere had pleaded guilty to sample counts concerning the unauthorised disclosure of PULSE date on 14 female motorists between January and September 2020.
Judge Comerford said that Mr Meere had engaged in ‘creepy’ behaviour in seeking out the information so he could view the Facebook profile photos and the circumstances around the offending “brings a level of disgrace and shame”.
At garda interview, Mr Meere said: “I have a wife and kids and obviously I should not have been doing what I was doing.”
He told Gardai that it was “stupid, male, egotistical behaviour”.
Judge Comerford said that there was no evidence of Mr Meere making contact with the women online, making Facebook friend requests or seeking them out.
Judge Comerford said that an alarming feature of the case is that the Garda from whom Mr Meere was obtaining the PULSE data “was someone who committed some very sinister and obsessive offences of a sexual nature” that he was sentenced for last year.
Judge Comerford said that there was no evidence before the court that Mr Meere knew anything about Mr 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 Mr Flanagan inciting others to rape a colleague.
The investigation involved the seizure of Mr Flanagan’s mobile phone and it showed that Mr Flanagan had 2,212 screenshots of PULSE records on his mobile phone.
The Garda investigation uncovered chats between then Garda Flanagan and Mr Meere which shows Mr Meere over a nine month period making requests of Garda Flanagan to get the names of registered owners of cars driven by females he had seen at different locations from the registration plates provided by Mr Meere.
Mr 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 pic 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” and in response Meere texted back “she can teach me anything she wants to teach me”.
In another exchange, Flanagan told Meere that the registered owner of a car that Meere supplied the details of is a man.
In response, Meere texted to say “there wasn’t a man driving this – some f**king sex change of a doctor did a serious job on this if it is”.
Counsel for the State, Sarah Jane Comerford BL (instructed by State Solicitor for Clare, Aisling Casey) said that all of the women had been contacted to see if they wished to make a victim impact statement but none of them elected to do so.
Counsel for Mr Flanagan, Mark Nicholas SC told the court that the two friends had engaged in “silly, ridiculous, wrong, laddish type behaviour and it is absolutely right that it be stamped out”.
Mr Nicholas said that what went on was “utterly, utterly inappropriate”.
Counsel for Mr Meere, Patrick Whyms BL (instructed by solicitor, Daragh Hassett) said that his client is “shocked, ashamed and appalled at his behaviour”.
Judge Comerford imposed a separate suspended 18 month prison term on Mr Meere after he pleaded guilty to a drug trafficking offence where on April 14th 2022 to having in his possession at Henry Street Garda Station, Limerick a tick list, bag sealer, tin foil, scissors, baggies and a mobile phone, in circumstances where there was a reasonable inference that the items were in his possession or control for a purpose in connection with drug trafficking.
