PARANOID gangster Daniel Goulding was living as a recluse and surviving off takeaways before he flipped and opened fire on frontline gardai.
The Irish Sun can reveal Goulding, 38, had refused to leave his home during the pandemic over fears he would be targeted by Kinahan-linked mob boss Jay OConnors associates.
Daniel Goulding was living as a ‘recluse’
He was reported to be surviving off takeaways
Mob boss Jay O’ConnorCredit: Paddy Cummins – The Sun Dublin
And its understood he was placed on a death list because a close associate, suspected of ordering the hit on OConnor which led to innocent Keith Walkers murder in 2015, fled the country.
We also understand Goulding was only warned by gardai that he was at the centre of a new death threat on May 20.
CREDIBLE THREAT
The pressure got to him on Tuesday night when he opened fire on gardai with a machine pistol as they responded to reports of two shots being fired in Whitechapel Grove, Blanchardstown.
Goulding, who cheated death in 2008 when a gunman fired shots at him outside Blanchardstown Garda Station, remains in custody and is being questioned on suspicion of possession of firearms with intent to endanger life.
A source said: Goulding is a very dangerous criminal who has been unheard of in the last two or so years in Blanchardstown.
The only time he surfaced was earlier this month when credible information was received to suggest he was under threat.
His main supply of food was a local takeaway close to home where he was a regular customer. Apart from that he wasnt seen.
He did not want to engage with gardai when being warned his life was in danger and instead opened fire on frontline officers.
GUN RAMPAGE
The concern is that he became the top target for OConnors gang because his close associate continued to live in the UK.
They added: His weight has ballooned during the pandemic and he was unrecognisable.
During Tuesday nights gun rampage, gardai fired 11 shots after Goulding had opened fire.
One officer was hit in the leg and foot, while the other was hit in the foot.
Both detectives underwent surgery on Wednesday and remain in a stable condition.
Investigators later discovered a machine pistol and a handgun thrown from the house. They also recovered another weapon during a search of the propertys back garden on Wednesday.
We can also reveal the Garda National Negotiation Unit was helped by a local detective who knew Goulding. The officer was identified as a third party intermediary who worked with a main negotiator.
Following a tense two-hour stand-off, the negotiators were able to persuade Goulding to throw his weapons from a window.
Once he did this, he was arrested by the Emergency Response Unit.
Two gardai were shot in the incident
Keith Walker was murdered in 2015Credit: Collect