NL man gets six months for interfering with police

A Superior Court judge has sentenced Daniel J. Golodner to six months in prison for interfering with police, who responded to his Colman Street, New London, home in August 2008 after he called to complain that surveyors were trespassing on his property.

Judge Matthew E. Frechette handed down the sentence this morning.

Golodner intends to appeal his conviction and was expected to post a $75,000 real estate bond so he could be free while the case is pending.

A jury had convicted Golodner, 47, of two counts of interfering with police and two counts of second-degree reckless endangerment, all misdemeanor crimes, following a two-day trial in October. The jury found Golodner not guilty of felony charges of assault on a police officer and first-degree reckless endangerment.

According to court testimony, Golodner called police to complain that surveyors hired by neighbors with whom he had a running dispute were trespassing on his property. He wanted police to remove the surveyors from his property, which he said they had done on a prior occasion, but was told the surveyors had a right to be there under state law.

The police said Golodner attempted to run down an officer and a surveyor with his van and kicked another officer who attempted to arrest him.

Golodner testified that he was simply pulling his van out in preparation for going to work and that the officers attacked and beat him.

At sentencing, prosecutor Christa L. Baker asked the judge to impose a nine-month prison term while defense attorney Drzislav "Dado" Coric requested a suspended sentence with probation. The judge sentenced Golodner to three years in prison, suspended after six months served and three years probation.

k.florin@theday.com