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Three years for interfering with witness

One of two brothers who were interviewed by gardaí in connection with the feud which lead to the death of the two Glennon brothers, has been jailed for 3 years by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for interfering with the principal prosecution witness in last year’s infamous Leisureplex attempted murder trial.

The court heard that David Goulding (30) of Whitechapel Grove tried to persuade Akef Alquasar not to give evidence in the trial of Darren Larkin, who had shot him in the head at the Blanchardstown Leisureplex in 2006.

Larkin was however found guilty and was sentenced last May to life imprisonment for the attempted murder.

The jury decided on a verdict of 10 – 2 that Goulding was guilty of trying to persuade Alquasar not to give evidence at Larkin’s trial. Goulding had denied during the three-day trial that he attempted between May 1st and August 19th, 2006, to persuade Mr. Alquasar not to give evidence.

A second charge of intimidation was withdrawn after Judge Pat McCartan directed the jury to return a not-guilty verdict on the basis that there was "no expressed threat" by Goulding towards Mr. Alquasar despite the prosecution's case that such a threat was "implied".

Retired Detective Inspector Brian Sherry told the court that Larkin had been held in custody after being charged with the Leisureplex attack and had applied for bail. He said Mr. Alquasar had given evidence at the bail hearing and bail had been refused.

Det Insp. Sherry gave evidence that security arrangements had been put in place by gardaí for Mr. Alquasar immediately after the shooting and he left Dublin in April 2006 for two months to live with his family in Westmeath.

The alleged intimidation took place in June and July following which Mr. Alquasar had gone into the witness protection program "provisionally" in August 2006 and "fully" at the end of November 2006.

In his evidence Mr. Alquasar, a Jordanian national, told prosecuting counsel Remy Farrell he was working in Blanchardstown Leisureplex shooting on February 20th, 2006, when Larkin entered carrying a sawn-off shotgun and fired two shots at him, one of which hit him on the side of the head.

According to Mr. Alquasar, he had been living in Blanchardstown for more than 17 years and had known the Goulding brothers for about 14 years. After the shooting he moved to Westmeath with his family for a period but continued to make weekly trips home. As a result of an approach made to him he passed his phone number through another person to Goulding.

He said he was urged to drop the charges during a call from Goulding because "the young fella [Larkin] is facing 10 to 12 years and his girlfriend is pregnant." He was told that if he did so he would be able to return home. However in June 2006, shortly after he had moved back home, he received a phone call from Goulding's brother, Daniel "Deano" Goulding, ordering him to drop the charges. Deano allegedly told him “you f***ing black bastard. I will blow your head off, fire an RPG into your house and cut up your son."

Afterwards he was again contacted by David Goulding who told him not to listen to his brother and said he should deal with him instead. He made arrangements to meet David Goulding in Blanchardstown Town Centre where he was urged to go to the gardaí and withdraw the charges.

In July 2006 when he was again contacted by David Goulding he told him he could not contact the gardaí because the detectives in charge of the case were on holidays. Goulding then urged him to contact Larkin's solicitor instead and swear an affidavit withdrawing the charges.

According to the witness, Goulding gave him the solicitor's number and told him he was "under pressure" and he would go to the solicitor with him if he wanted. He said that Goulding told him "you and your family have to live in the area, not the gardaí."

Mr. Alquasar who was in contact with the gardaí throughout this period, subsequently made contact with Larkin's solicitor but the solicitor told him he could not do what Goulding was suggesting as it would be illegal.

Sentencing Goulding to three years in prison, Judge McCartan said it was an attack upon the institution of justice, the operation of the courts and the capacity of the gardaí to investigate serious crime.

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