Two students convicted of criminal damage over the hacking of a Fine Gael website have handed over €10,000 in settlement of their case, avoiding a prison sentence and a criminal record.
Darrn Martyn (21) of Clareglaway, Co. Galway and Donnacha O’Cearbhaill (20) from Birr, Co. Offaly, admitted to defacing the website www.finegael2011.ie, publishing its subscriber database online and sending it to a journalist seven weeks before the 2011 general election.
Martin, a student of forensic science and analysis at GMIT and O’Cearbhaill, who studies medicinal chemistry at Trinity College Dublin, were identified as the hackers Raepsauce and Palladium following an investigation by the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation.
Fine Gael said it cost €10,000 to get the website back online. The accused were told to bring €5,000 each to court today to hand over to the party.
Fine Gael said it would keep €5,000 and donate €5,000 to Pieta House, a non-profit organisation that works to prevent suicide and self-harm.
The co-accused are the first hackers to be prosecuted in Ireland.
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