ONE OF three Galway city men suspected of taking part in an abortive raid on an elderly farmer near Claregalway was arrested by gardai and detained for questioning yesterday. The arrest was made after the man, who is in his 20s, was discharged from hospital.
Meanwhile, gardai refused to say if Mr Patrick Duggan (76) will face charges arising from the shooting of one of the raiders who broke into his home at Kiltrogue in the early hours of Friday last.
The three men ransacked the house and stole £150 in cash, and in the course of the robbery threatened Mr Duggan.
After confronting the farmer, who lives alone, one of them threw a knife at him. It is understood that Mr Duggan then discharged his legally-held shotgun kept by his bedside. This resulted in a serious facial wound to one of the three intruders.
A knife has been recovered from the scene, while the shotgun has undergone forensic examination, it has been confirmed.
The gang fled in the Galway direction in a stolen car, depositing the injured man at University College Hospital, where he underwent surgery at the weekend. The car was later found burned out on the other side of the city.
The man, who was detained for questioning at Mill Street station under Section 30 of the Offences against the State Act, can be detained up to midday tomorrow before being charged or released.
He is also being questioned about other recent incidents in Galway.
A second man was detained in Galway later yesterday and is being questioned at Mill Street station about the raid.