CCA reduces life sentence on man who shot security guard

The Court of Criminal appeal has reduced the life sentence imposed on a Dublin man for the attempted murder of a security guard who was shot in the head to one of 15 years in jail.

Today the CCA altered the sentence on the grounds that the trial judge who sentenced Darren Larkin should have distinguished between the offence of murder and that of attempted murder before imposing a life sentence.

Larkin (aged 25), of no fixed address, was found guilty at the Central Criminal Court, in May 2007 of attempting to murder Akef Alquasar (aged 49) in the early hours of February 20, 2006 at the Leisureplex in Dublin's Blanchardstown. Larkin had denied the charges.

The Jury heard that the victim had been working as security manager at the Leisureplex on the night of the incident. At about 4.40am, Larkin entered the building carrying a sawn-off shotgun.

Mr Alquasar recognised him immediately, shouting out: "Larkin, you b******." Larkin ran forward and fired the gun, injuring him on the side of the head.

Mr Justice Eamonn de Valera imposed the maximum sentence of life imprisonment for attempted murder and also imposed concurrent 20 years sentences on two further charges of having a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life.

Larkin appealed against both sentence and conviction. The DPP opposed the appeals.

Today the CCA, with Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns presiding, sitting with Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne and Mr Justice Bryan McMahon, rejected Larkin's appeal against conviction, however it reduced his sentence from life to 15 years for the attempted murder and concurrent 10 year sentences for each of the fire arms offences.