Man pleads guilty to attempted murder of two Garda detectives

Incident occurred in Clonsilla last year when the gardaí responded to a report of gunfire at the home of the accused

Daniel Goulding (39) of Whitechapel Grove, Clonsilla, Dublin, pleaded guilty on Monday. Photograph: Garrett White/Collins
Daniel Goulding (39) of Whitechapel Grove, Clonsilla, Dublin, pleaded guilty on Monday. Photograph: Garrett White/Collins

A man has pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court on Monday to the attempted murder of two gardaí at a siege and shoot-out in west Dublin last year. Two detectives were shot in the incident.

Daniel Goulding (39) of Whitechapel Grove, Clonsilla, Dublin, pleaded guilty on Monday to the attempted murder of the two detective gardaí at his family home on May 25th, 2021.

The two detectives received non-fatal limb injuries to the feet and one to the hand during the incident which lasted for up to two hours.

At the Central Criminal Court on Monday, Goulding spoke only to answer “guilty” to both charges when read to him by the registrar.

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Michael Bowman SC, for Goulding, said a psychiatric report on his client had only been received by the defence on Friday.

Mr Bowman also requested that a governor’s report be prepared from Cloverhill Prison.

Mr Justice Paul McDermott adjourned the matter to November 21st.

At a previous hearing of the case a court heard that Goulding had been receiving psychiatric treatment for several years.

In September of last year, Det Sgt Michael Redmond told Blanchardstown District Court that at about 7.40pm on the night, gardaí were alerted to an incident in which gunshots had been fired in the area of Whitechapel Grove.

Two detectives arrived at the scene and “almost immediately came under fire” from an upstairs bedroom of Goulding’s home.

They took cover behind an unmarked patrol car which was struck a number of times.

Both of the detectives were shot in the left leg and one of them was also struck in his left hand.

A Garda Armed Support Unit arrived with other units, including negotiators, and a number of homes were evacuated.

After two hours of negotiations, firearms were surrendered from the house. Det Sgt Redmond said members of the public were also exposed to the incident.

Goulding was originally charged with unlawful possession of two 63-PM RAK submachine guns with intent to endanger life, and unlawfully possessing a Makarov 9mm pistol and 74 rounds of ammunition.

The media have been ordered not to report the names of the injured detectives.