Man arrested in Charles Dooher attempted murder probe released on bail

A man arrested in Derry on Friday on suspicion of the attempted murder of Charles Dooher has been released.

The 60-year-old man was arrested by PSNI detectives in Derry who are assisting An Garda Siochana colleagues in investigating the brutal attack on Mr Dooher in his Lifford home in January.

The PSNI say that the man has now been bailed “to allow for further enquiries”.

The man was arrested as the probe into the horrific attack stepped up in the past week.

Last Sunday, a woman in Donegal was arrested and detained for several days by Gardai in Donegal.

The woman, in her 50s, was detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007 at Letterkenny Garda Station where she was quizzed over a number of days by detectives.

She was released without charge and a file is now being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Detectives are dealing with the incident as an attempted murder.

A masked gang stormed Mr Dooher’s home at around 10am on January 20 and left him for dead.

The 26-year-old was left with a shattered skull and a traumatic brain injury, but made what close friends and family have called a “miracle recovery” after spending several weeks in intensive care.

He was airlifted to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast and had a protective plate fitted to his head while family members remained by his bedside throughout his hospital stay.

Charles’s father, Charles Dooher senior, who is in his 60s, also received injuries in the attack and received treatment in Letterkenny University Hospital. 

Several Garda units, including the Armed Response Unit, attended the scene of the attack and a major cross-border manhunt was launched as authorities on both sides of the border sought information on the gang. 

Earlier in the year, two men were arrested by detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Serious Crime Branch. 

The pair, lifted in the Derry area, were held in police custody and questioned over charges of attempted murder, aggravated burglary and false imprisonment. but later bailed.