A man has been jailed for three years by Judge Patrick McCartan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for interfering with the principal prosecution witness in an attempted murder trial.
David Goulding (30) 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.
Goulding, of Whitechapel Grove, Clonsilla, was found guilty by a jury on Thursday of trying to persuade Mr Alquasar not to give evidence at the trial of Larkin (25), who was sentenced last May to life imprisonment for attempting to murder him.
The jury's guilty verdict on Goulding was by 10-2 majority. He had denied in his three-day trial that he attempted between May 1st and August 19th, 2006, to persuade Mr Alquasar not to give evidence.
Judge McCartan directed the jury to return a not-guilty verdict on a second charge of intimidation. He withdrew this charge after the prosecution case closed, telling the jury that the evidence was that there was "no expressed threat" by Goulding towards Mr Alquasar despite the prosecution's case that such a threat was "implied". Mr Alquasar, who is now in the witness protection programme, told prosecuting counsel Remy Farrell he was working in Blanchardstown Leisureplex 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.
Mr Alquasar told Mr Farrell he had been living in Blanchardstown for more than 17 years and had known Goulding for about 14 years.
He said he moved to Westmeath with his family for a period after the shooting but made 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", and was told he would then be able to go home.
Mr Alquasar said that some days after he moved back to Blanchardstown in June 2006 he received an abusive phone call from Goulding's brother, Daniel "Deano" Goulding, ordering him to drop the charges.
He said he was told: "You f***ing black bastard. I will blow your head off, fire an RPG [ rocket propelled grenade] into your house and cut up your son."
Mr Alquasar said that soon afterwards he was contacted by David Goulding who told him not to listen to his brother and said he should deal with him instead.
He said he made arrangements to meet David Goulding in Blanchardstown shopping centre where he was urged to go to the Garda and withdraw the charges.
Mr Alquasar said that when he was contacted again in July 2006 by Goulding he told him he could not contact the Garda because the detectives in charge of the case were on holidays.
He said Goulding urged him to contact Larkin's solicitor instead and swear an affidavit withdrawing the charges. Mr Alquasar said 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.
Mr Alquasar said Goulding told him: "You have to live in the area, your family, not the gardaí." He made contact with Larkin's solicitor who told him he could not do what Goulding suggested as it was illegal.
Mr Alquasar said he had kept the Garda informed throughout this time of what was happening.