Murdered man may be victim of feud

GARDAÍ are investigating suspicions that a man murdered in a gangland assassination may have been the victim of a criminal feud in Dublin’s north inner city.

Gerard Goulding, aged 24, was shot once in the head and once to the chest on waste ground in Donaghmede, north Dublin at around 11pm on Monday.

Detectives yesterday issued descriptions of a man spotted running from the murder scene just after Goulding was shot dead.

They appealed to taxi drivers who may have brought the man to the area to come forward.

Officers suspect Goulding had gone to the location, which lies between St Donagh’s Road and Holywell Road, to meet someone and that he may have known the person.

Goulding, a father-of-one from Clarence Street North in Dublin’s north inner city, was a chronic heroin addict.

He had a long list of convictions, including for public order and possession of drugs, but was not considered by gardaí to be a major criminal.

It emerged yesterday that Goulding rang his girlfriend on his mobile phone just minutes before he was murdered, telling her he’d be home soon.

Gardaí said Goulding had left his girlfriend’s apartment in the north inner city at around 10pm and had taken a taxi to Donaghmede.

“I’m making an appeal to all taxi people that were working last night, both men and women, to come forward and talk to us,” said Supt Noel McLoughlin of Coolock Garda Station.

He said the deceased was wearing a grey jumper, a grey tracksuit top, navy Adidas tracksuit bottoms and white Adidas runners.

“Somebody out there must have brought that person, the deceased, to the area,” said Supt McLoughlin, who is leading the investigation.

He said they believed the man had an appointment to meet somebody, but said it was too early to suggest a reason for the killing.

“Certainly it’s another horrific murder and we have no motive at present.”

He said a resident in the area heard a loud bang at around 11pm and when gardaí responded, they found a person fatally injured. Supt McLoughlin said a man was spotted running from the direction of the shooting.

“At this early stage, we have some information in relation to a suspicious person that was seen in the area at the time of the shooting and that person is described as 5ft 11in, slim build and slim face, a pointed nose and a very distinctive, brilliant-white tracksuit top with dark bands both on the neck and on the sleeves.

“This is a very distinctive clothing and we would like that person to come forward and talk to us to eliminate him from our inquiries.”

Supt McLoughlin said the man may have arrived by taxi and he appealed to drivers to come forward. He said the man may also have arrived by DART, as the Howth Junction Station was only 500 yards away.

Fine Gael justice spokesman Jim O’Keeffe said: “It’s further evidence of the failure of this government, and in particular the Minister for Justice, to take a grip on the situation and get firearms under control and to adequately resource the Garda Síochána to deal with this upsurge in violence.”

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said there were more gardaí on the streets than ever before and that no request for resources from the Garda Commissioner had been refused.