A Dublin man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for attempted murder after he shot a man in the head at the Leisureplex in Dublin's Blanchardstown.
Darren Larkin (23), of no fixed address, was convicted of attempting to murder Akef Alquasar (49) in the early hours of February 20th, 2006, earlier this month.
Sgt Aiden Power told Shane Murphy SC, prosecuting, that the victim had been working as security manager at the Leisureplex on the night of the incident. He had let another member of staff go home early as it was a quiet night and there were few people about.
At about 4.40am, Larkin entered the building carrying a sawn-off shotgun. Mr Alquasar recognised him immediately, shouting out: "Larkin, you bastard." Larkin ran forward and fired the gun, hitting Mr Alquasar on the side of the head. Mr Alquasar dived behind the nearby bowling reception and started throwing the bowling shoes stored behind it.
Sgt Power told Mr Murphy that Mr Alquasar had been taken into the witness protection programme at an early stage of the Garda investigation that followed because of fears for his safety.
In his statement, Mr Alquasar told Mr Justice Éamon de Valera that the effect of his life had been profound. As a direct result of the shooting and the events that followed, his marriage was effectively over, his children had lost a substantial amount of their education and his eldest son had had a nervous breakdown
He told the court he had lived in Ireland for over 25 years. He and his wife had raised three children under difficult circumstances. They had planned to purchase their local authority house, "but this will never happen now."
He said his wife had very close ties with her family especially since her sister's two sons were murdered recently. Since the shootings, "my wife has suffered with her nerves and can no longer go back to her family and friends".
His eldest son had been moved to several mental institutions and his younger son, who was studying for his Leaving Cert and was a promising soccer player, has had to leave school.
His daughter had lost four months of schooling as a direct result of the shooting and witness protection and he said, of himself, "I will never reside in Ireland again and I will have to endure the loss of my family and friends."
Det Insp Brendan Sherry, at the judge's request, told the court there had been six murders committed in the Blanchardstown area using firearms since January 1st, 2003. There had been more than 50 shooting incidents over the same period and in the last year alone, 94 firearms had been seized.
Defence counsel Mary Ellen Ring SC said Larkin had received the majority of his 35 previous convictions in lower courts and had recently gained new responsibility after becoming a father for the first time.
Sentencing Larkin to the maximum sentence of life imprisonment for the attempted murder charge, Mr Justice de Valera said he failed to see why he should "avoid a life sentence merely because Darren Larkin is a bad shot". He also sentenced him to 20 years each for two further charges of possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life.