Dennis Hoyn: Jury to decide fate of ex Campbelltown cop
A former Campbelltown cop has maintained he was acting “well within his duties” during the fourth day of his trial following allegations he unlawfully accessed the police force’s confidential database.
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A former Campbelltown cop accused of unlawfully accessing and passing on confidential police information has been labelled a “lone ranger”, despite a court hearing he believed he “didn’t do anything wrong”.
Dennis Hoyn faced the fourth day of trial in the NSW District Court at Wollongong on Monday, after pleading not guilty to six counts of wilful misconduct in public office, following allegations he unlawfully accessed the police force’s Computer Operating System (COPS) on several occasions between February and December 2018 while working as a highway patrol officer.
Hoyn’s trial began last week after he was accused of “using his position as a police officer to improperly access personal information” and “providing details about that personal information” to several other people. Hoyn denies the allegations however, arguing he acted well within his duties.
Throughout the course of the trial, Crown prosecutor Justine Hopper told the jury Hoyn allegedly looked up number plates and names in the system after receiving texts from several people who asked him to do so.
Ms Hopper told the jury Hoyn allegedly sent the details back via text, and at times would send photos of the information held in the confidential database.
On Monday, Hoyn’s former police supervisor Steven Galinaitis took the witness stand, where he told the court he “didn’t have any doubt” about Hoyn’s integrity or honesty.
However, in answering questions from Ms Hopper, Galinaitis stated confidential information contained in the COPS system was not for distribution to the public.
“It’s information they aren’t required to know about,” he said. “ … if (the search) didn’t relate to a traffic offence … it’s not my duties.”
The court also heard Mr Galinaitis resigned from the police force after he was given an ultimatum to leave his position or be sacked.
In her closing remarks to the jury, Ms Hopper told the jury Hoyn was a “lone ranger” who took it upon himself to look up information about cars and people, because a friend requested it.
“The Crown says that goes beyond the scope of his duties in public office,” she said.
“It was unlawful for the accused to access COPS, it was unlawful for him to disseminate that information, that is clear and overwhelming.”
She also told the jury that Hoyn’s release of the information posed “a real danger” to the public, and that his excuses for doing so were “pathetic”.
In making his closing remarks to the jury, Hoyn’s defence barrister Nicholas Moir agreed his client could be dubbed a “lone ranger”, however rejected the crown’s claims he was acting unlawfully.
“The Crown suggests he was a lone ranger, I don’t think that’s something that’s unacceptable in many ways,” he said.
“Because in all of this, his motivation, as he says, was to help people and seek out people who had done the wrong thing.”
Mr Moir told the jury there was “no contest” Hoyn accessed the system and recorded the information as suggested by the Crown, however argued his client did not act unlawfully or outside of his duties.
“He was in a position to access, as he was authorised to, the COPS system and seek out info in order to either track down baddies, caution them, talk to them,” he said.
“He was helping people who were fearful for their loved ones.”
The jury will return to court on Tuesday to deliberate upon a verdict.