Three held over Dublin shooting

Three men are today being questioned by gardaí in connection with the shooting of a man in Dublin nearly two years ago that left…

Three men are today being questioned by gardaí in connection with the shooting of a man in Dublin nearly two years ago that left him in a vegetative state.

Robert Delaney (27) was shot in the head at his apartment at Russell Rise in Tallaght in the early hours of October 22nd, 2008.

The victim was in bed when he went to answer a caller who had rung the bell of the third-floor apartment.

When he opened the kitchen window and looked out to investigate, the gunman on the pavement below fired a shot at him wounding him in the face.

A second shot was also discharged from the attacker's shotgun. His wife and children were in the room when he was shot.

The emergency services were contacted and Mr Delaney, who was working as a postman, was given medical attention at the scene.

He was taken by ambulance to Tallaght hospital where he underwent surgery. He suffered severe brain damage and remains in a serious condition at the hospital.

A father and son - aged 57 and 31 - and another  man (32) were arrested this morning and are being held at Tallaght and Rathfarnham Garda stations under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act.

Today's arrests bring to nine the number of people questioned over the shooting.

Gardaí said at the time of the shooting that they did not believe the incident was linked in any way to the drugs trade or any form of organised crime.

After he was shot it emerged Mr Delany had broken up a row outside a Dublin pub. During the course of trying to rescue a man who was being attacked,  he punched one of the attackers.

Gardaí believe the three men under arrested were involved in planning Mr Delany’s shooting and paid two criminals from Finglas, north Dublin, to carry out the attack.